youknowit

if you can send me the information on these people through a PM, that'd be great. i actually think I might know who/what you are talking about, and am worried they aren't very "credible" if you know what I mean... but I'm certainly open to checking it out. i sooooooo appreciate all your help!

So which docs do you use? I'm just trying to see if there's a doc in TJ that is easier to get into than mine. Having a hard time working around the schedule there...

I have the smallest port as well, and getting a fill last week was no problem at all. I did have it under fluoro, and I'm sure that helps. I'd push for the small one if it were me... Started with the small one, so I don't see why you can't switch to a small one. Best of luck and congrats on your amazing transformation! :Banane34: :rose:

Anyone? any thoughts?

kirstie alley is on jenny craig, not nutri-system. and to be honest, i think she might have gotten the band. just my 2 cents.

Did ya'll see that this seller dropped all of the bids? I'm pretty sure that's because it wasn't going for such a "low" price... I bet it will be back up soon. I'll keep an eye out...

i was thinking about the "math" of this situation... not with the specific people who have recently eroded, but with the Mexico vs. us erosion rate. if i'm nuts tell me, but doesn't it seem that if mexico has and is doing more band surgeries than the US, would they therefore have a slightly greater statistical rate of erosion and other complications? not because they are mexican doctors, but because they are doing more surgeries overall? if (or should I say when) the US surgeons begin doing more bands, their stats of complications should theoretically go up as well, coinciding with their increased rate of surgeries (and thus linking up with the same average amount of surgeries done in mexico for the band). i agree, there are different "standards" from mexico and the U.S., but let's face it, there are different "standards" and practices for every single doctor, everywhere, no matter where you go, or who you go to. of course, doctors all learn the same general information in medical school, but what they do with it in practice is often something else... based on a lot of varibles, of course, like keeping up on the medical literature, greater understanding of the procedures through practice, etc... just my thoughts on the subject. (this erosion/complication stuff is scaring the s%@t out of me.) angie

i've told only one person... a friend who lives 3000 miles away, and no one else. i don't plan to tell anyone, and no one has asked "how" even though they have noticed a weightloss. i've struggled with telling, or not, and i still vote no for me. might change in the future, but alas, i doubt it. best of luck in your decision to tell, or not.

IMHO -- No question, South of France. You won't ever get the chance to go to Canne again (and especially under these AMAZINGLY COOL circumstances)... or at least, probably not. The Biggest Loser, well, that's going to be on TV for years (again, IMHO), so you can always try again in the future. For me, there's no question... Go France!

I was on a full 14 days (two weeks) of liquids, then two weeks of mushies, before moving on to "regular" food. It was tough, but doable. A month seems like a LONG time. Trust me, you can make it two weeks on liquids, but more than that... I have no idea. You'll be surprised that you're not as hungry as you think you'll be (and honestly, you won't feel the same way you might now, so just keep that in mind). Anyways, if you don't mind me asking... what doc are you using? If you want to PM me, I'd love to know. Mine is pretty strict too, and he had us do liquids for a whole week even after a fill. Best wishes.

i'm glad to see that you're looking into this... please keep us posted on the outcome. like i said before, at first it gave me a chuckle, and a queesy feeling in my stomache. then it just made me mad and scared for whomever would end up with this band. ugh! here's hoping we put this band and seller to bed.

no numbing... kind of wish they had, but it wasn't too horrible or anything. just a small prick, and I did a little breathing technique, which helped.

I don't know, but my first fill was yesterday and my doc told me only liquids for a week! does this seem reasonable?

ok, so i do think this is funny, but, does anyone else think this is wrong? or better yet, scary? i'm a little worried about the bidder and their intentions. it occured to me that perhaps this bidder (or the people buying things like this) might be buying them FOR a doctor to place, not just as a patient... what made me think this you might ask? well, when I was snooping around and seeing what else these bidders have/are bidding on, they bought other medical products as well, like an endoscopy machine, etc. this thought is truly scary to me... anyone else?

yes, they do... they also have a PORT for sale. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7578343198 ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

A band friend lead me to it... I think it's crazy, personally. I remember a while back someone on here said that if they got desperate, they'd be breaking out a butcher knife and putting a twist-tie around their stomache themselves...well, here's your chance! Yikes! On another note, what qualified surgeon would feel comfortable putting in a supposidly "new" but technically opened/used band? Yikes, again!

Thanks again! I appreciate the heads up... I agree, it's my decision, and it's my body. Have a super day!

Thanks to everyone for the advice. This actually wasn't a "sexual" situation when he saw them, we were dancing, and my shirt slipped up a bit. Yikes! I think I did the best I could with that particular situation, letting it slide, and he didn't pry, but like a few of you said, it will probably come up again. I believe that honesty is the best policy and all, but I don't think I should throw it out there up front. I am also in a bind, because I didn't tell anyone about my band, and he's a "someone" who I've known as a friend for year or so, and didn't tell him about it when we were in "friend" territory. I'm starting to feel like I'm in a bad episode of 90210 or Friends. Ah! Anyways, I think I'll just see how this goes, and if/when (and it's a most likely WHEN) it does come up, I will tell then. Or, like was mentioned, I'll say something when that kind of conversation (health, diet, etc) comes up. Elisa -- you too are also right, do I want to spend a lot of time on someone who won't be supportive? No, I don't... I think I'm having a crisis of confidence with all my friends and family (which I'm sure is just a reflection of my own confidence in my decision to get the band... self-analyzing mode, ah!)... I will tell when the time is right, and if things don't work out for some reason before then, well, the whole thing wasn't meant to be then. Thanks again everybody for you help and advice. I appreciate it and will take all of it to bed with me for thought tonight. angie

bethrn -- i had the SAME exact pain in the same exact spot you describe. of course, the people who point out you just had surgery are right, you did have a serious surgery. HOWEVER, the thing I found out was the primary cause of all my pain and discomfort seemed to be from severe dehydration, so maybe that's part of it? Are you getting enough Water, etc? I was taking a medication that I should NOT have been taking right after surgery that contributed primarily to the severe dehydration (I was drinking like a horse, but nothing was working). However, this medication or not, I know it's hard to get a lot of anything down right after the surgery, and that could be effecting your kidneys, etc... Just a few thoughts from someone who felt that same feeling your describing. Hope you feel better soon, and have the chance to take it easy for a while. Hang in there! angie

you go girl! congrats!

A letter from your band doctor, it would seem to me, should be sufficient (that's what I'm using). I also got a receipt showing how much I paid from my band doc so I have that AND the letter together. In addition, you are always free to get your medical records from your PCP and document it yourself. I guarantee you it says somewhere (if not all over) that you are/were obese. The first time I saw "morbidly obese female" in my record, I literally cried, and that's when I decided I had to get my butt in gear. Anyways, hope this information helps.

the IRS code says that this IS tax deductible as obesity is a disease (it even notes obesity as an example). here's the link to actual the IRS information, and to discussions on this topic on LBT. http://www.irs.gov/publications/p502/ar02.html#d0e2138 http://www.irs.gov/publications/p502/ar02.html#d0e288 http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=10395&highlight=tax

i am stunned by your story about TOPS and the "biggest pig song"... ugh. how sick are people? best wishes on your journey, and know that we're here to help... angie

it never occured to me (in all the craziness and stress) that what i might have been (and still sometime am) feeling, is mourning... over my "old" life... over my future "old" self... over the comfort i had taken in food (even though it was killing me)... on and on. i still have my days, and as i lose, i feel a lot of very unusual feelings that i could not have predicted. i'm just going with whatever comes, and hoping this decision and my future is worth all this. it's been a major journey for me to this band, and does/will continue to be... and this journey most of all has been emotional for me to this point... the physical pain and the troubles i've had are nothing when i consider the rollercoaster of emotion i've been on. i guess what i'm saying, again, is if you feel scared, serene, freaked, happy, sad, crazy... you're normal. been through all those and then some, and expect this to continue on, while my body and mind adjust to life with the band (and life without food utterly controling me). i'll be thinking of you on your surgery day.

I was sick and cried like a baby, I was so stressed and emotional. I think it's very normal to feel that way. I went to Mexico by myself, and from the moment I hit the ground at the airport, I cried off and on all day of the surgery. I seriously think the psychologist thought I might be a little mental, but I assured her that I just deal with severe stress this way, and reminded her (and the others there that I was alone, and helloo... this is a scary thing... so they understood). You aren't alone with feeling this way... at least I'd like to think so. Best wishes from the girl who cried like a baby the day before, day of, and day after surgery... angie