LilAngel

Yay! I got the Heber number through Dr. Farr's office and got the cell number from the office message. So, no worries. If anyone else ever needs this info, tho, let me know. Thanks! Angel

:help: I am trying to reach Wendy Hall in Arizona (Heber, Snowflake, Mesa) for an immediate unfill. I have been swollen almost completely shut since Thanksgiving. Blasted turkey! Anyway, I can't find her card anywhere for her cell #. I found this Snowflake number 928-536-5377 through a search, but it is ringing in like a fax. I really need to reach her. I am in a lot of pain and would like to request the day off as soon as possible, if I can get in, since my boss is an a-hole about that kind of stuff. (It ups my chances of actually getting the time off. He's such a grouch!). I just can't imagine holding out another day. I feel like there is a sword going up my esophagus on a regular basis. OUCH! Anyway, if you don't feel comfortable posting it, PLEASE PM me. I will check it all through the day. THANKS SO MUCH!

Hey turtles. Just saying hi. I haven't been on here in ages. Since my last unfill after that awful episode, I never got refilled back to where I was. And where I was wasn’t even working, so of course this isn't either. I am just a big chicken. It was pretty terrible, so I missed some work, which didn’t go over well. Anyway, I still haven't lost anything, and I don't much feel like I have a band, though I do eat considerably less even still. Yet, I think of y'all all the time and wonder how everyone is doing. I still think about just trying to start over, but I wonder if I even can. Anyway, just poking my head in to say howdy! Guess, I am off to do some reading and catching up on everyone. Hope y'all are doing great!!!

Anybody know of a doc in the Phoenix area that will do local care (fills, etc) on us cats who receive the band in Mexico? I live on the east side (Mesa), but I would even take Tucson, Flagstaff, or somewhere like that where I have to drive if necessary. Thank you!! -Angel

Not to be stupid, or terribly bold, but all this running and peeing every 20 minutes is about to make me nuts! I know we are supposed to drink our water, but what does it actually do? I have imagined it helps us seem fuller and keeps us from retaining water, but does anyone know of the actual physiological effects on the body that increase weight loss? are there any? If someone knows the answer, or at least some good resources, could you pass them along?? i wanna know these gabillion trips to the bathroom are worth it.

I ate dinner just fine on Tuesday. we went right after work about 5 in the evening. no pain, no problems and not much restriction. then yesterday i woke up and water and coffee went down with difiiculty. i didn't spit it back up but had some pain. now, usually I am tight in the morning and must use caution, but this was extraordinarily so and i never loosened up. i decided to do soup for lunch since i was struggling and then i started PBing horribly. this continued through the evening, and even through my sleep. i would wake up every half hour throwing up my own saliva type stuff all over myself and the sheets. this morning i am trying despartely to have some warm tea but it is not easy. at this point even my esophagus is swollen. it was a very painful nd disgusting night, so i don't want to push things, but i haven't eaten since tuesday. anyway, i have had the same fill for a couple of months and have had way less than perfect restriction. in fact, i was thinking i needed another one. what in the heck happned? i went from two months of fair restriciton to throwing up soup over night? this was so horribly painful and i am so tired from not eating and drinking. i am getting scared and don't know what is going on? and i have a midterm tonight? agh!! does anyone have advice?

To fill or not fill… So I have been going back and forth on this one, and I need some objective thoughts. Sometimes I think I don’t want to get a fill because mentally I just hate the idea of eating even less. But honestly, I don’t EVER pb. Not that that is a bad thing, but I think it is weird considering how much I can eat. Now I am pretty good about chewing, and I am starting to wonder if you can feel like you never get full if the food is chewed so much that it plops right down into the big tummy right away. And man is it weird to feel it pass from one to the other! Sometimes it amazes me how clueless I still am. :scared: Anyway, Jessiebear’s post about her terrible pb on just a couple of bites of Mexican food really made me wonder why that stuff never happens to me no matter what I eat. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want it to per se, but I just thought a fill of 3.2 seemed like so much, and maybe it really isn’t. WOW, I am totally rambling. Did I even make any sense? I think my addiction to food is making be biased. Please, ask me questions, set me straight. Just help me figure out what I am doing!

Squirrels!! no way! wow, that story takes the cake!:clap2:

wow. that is crazy. you feeling better today? that comment about a drunk though, that's priceless. :scared:

vines in her infinite wisdom....you gotta love it. all i can say is, i concur.

Anybody ever had this done? I am sure the price is dependent on how much you get done and where it is, but any info you can pass along would be appreciated. This is my planned reward for losing the weight. And as incentive to keep working at it, I am going to get started now on saving! WEEE! :ban: Just wondering how much that will have to be. :nervous

that is great news stewartS. i am glad you were able to get it here. i hope ttbseffy has the same luck. I guess i just had a bad run of luck, because no one even wanted to discuss it with me or would return my calls. i might have faired better with even more persistence. guess i should have stressed the self pay bit!!!! :ban:

actually there is a search feature at the top of the page on the main tool bar. i did a search for low bmi for you, but i didn't come up with anything. then i just tried bmi and still didn't get anything. that doesn't make any sense to me though. maybe my computer just hates me? :ban: hopefully some folks will get on here and post. you are defintely not alone though. your stats are probably currently on the low end, but even then still you could possibly get it. i think a bmi of 30 is the cut off in some places. i will try a some more search and hopefully find something good for you.

I had a relatively low BMI, but had to go to Mexico for surgery. That is another factor you might have to weigh, because I didn't find anyone here that would talk to me about getting it because of the federal regulations on the surgery. Somewhere out there you might be able to find it, but foreign shores are an option. Try a serach on low BMI. There are others on here with similar situations. Good luck!

wow. i am excited for you and have hope. keep us updated! PS. i have a fill on the 17th. Maybe we could get kicked out of the turtles at the same time! :ban:

I rarely have so much to share, but I must reach out to you. I know you. You are me. Please, I urge you to consider this reply. I hope this will not be perceived as condescending. I speak from experience. I spent years in a relationship that was NEVER obviously abusive. He was the love of everyone we knew and everyone thought that I had it made. Even me sometimes. Weight seemed to be to blame for everything that was wrong though, and certainly the root of my self-hate. It turned out though, that this person didn’t want what he perceived as damaged goods no matter what the issue was. Finally with weight watchers I started losing the weight, but my joint problems are not related totally to weight and they still got worse over time. It all came to a head during a trip to the zoo. I was having a horrible time limping around, in pain and struggling. I was almost in tears when I swallowed my pride to take a wheel chair. I had never done that in my life, and I was humiliated by admitting my weakness. I just didn’t want to ask him go home because of my problem because he loves the zoo and being outdoors and active. Then it came…the knife. He said “No, pushing you around in a wheel chair isn’t exactly my idea of a good time. I would just rather go home.” This man, who was so seemingly gentle and kind, and yes, wonderful with kids, was, at the heart of things, cold and unthinking. That was the beginning of the end and I have regained happiness since then. After finally learning to love myself, I then started dating a man while I was on Topamax and thin, and now have ballooned into a big big girl. He still tells me I am beautiful. He supported me in my surgery and even loaned me the money and we aren’t even engaged. He keeps encouraging me even though I haven’t lost weight very well because of other medical issues. That is real love. That is real support. John, that is his name, would push me in a wheel chair for the rest of my days if necessary and pop wheelies with me all the way. He has known this is a possibility for me from the beginning, but sees my worth far above that. YOU ARE SCHEDULED FOR SURGERY!!! This is taking care of “this one thing.” He should be jumping up and down for you! Why? Because this is not a weight loss scheme! Has he researched it with you? Does he show interest in this process and what will be happening? If weight loss is truly the answer, then right now, he should be feeling a renewed sense of hope, and so should you. But is it? This is a very complex issue. You have responsibility to love yourself. There is no doubt about that. And that is not just a feel good notion that I throw your way just to make you feel better. If you cannot, you won’t be happy with anyone, and it can destroy everything you love. Now with that said, I do not mean to cause despair. I KNOW that is not just something you decide to do and POOF! you suddenly think you are awesome. It is a process, but one that is up to ONLY YOU and it is ABSOLUTELY POSSIBLE. There a lot of things you can do to get started. Counseling is one obvious one. It is likely that larger issues and addiction drive the weight, and this will only be discovered in deep self-discovery. THIS IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. BUT!!!!!!! His IS TO LOVE YOU UNCONDITIONALLY. Yes, UNCONDITIONALLY. “Just because we took vows?” YES!!!! That is exactly why. If you were in a terrible accident and were paralyzed, what would be the outcome in your marriage? Only you know the answer to that. That answer is very important. Why? Because this parallel can create a very similar situation without the stigma and blame of weight gain. However, it can also produce the same bad characteristics in our loved ones. The fact is though, then, they do not have the luxury of blaming, judging, pointing the finger, and pretending there are far above you because of “your condition.” How do you REALY THINK he would behave? Again, REALLY. Be honest with your self. I do not pretend to know that answer, but you must find it. I have seen both sides. Think long and hard about what you deserve. YOU ARE NOT YOUR WEIGHT. YOU ARE NOT A FAT CELL. YOU ARE A WOMAN WORTH LOVING. Please PM me if you wan to discuss more. It so much deeper than what I can write here and I know you understand that. I hope this helps.

Rats! I was afraid he might. Maloxx give me the runs. :yuck:

Well this pain under my left breast, supergas or whatever it is, is still continually following every meal. It is quite painful, it hurts to sit or stand up straight, or move too much, and nothing including gas meds seems to help. I think I need to call the doc just to be on the safe side. Could someone PM me Dr. Ortiz's number? I don't have it with me at work and I don't want to put off calling. I just had a very small Breakfast and it hurts quite a bit. Thanks!

Hello all, Just wondering if there is anybody out there who has experienced that pain underneath your left breast, ever had it so bad you thought something was SERIOUSLY wrong. Lately, I seem to have this a lot more often, but can't point to anything that I am eating differently. I have no trouble getting food down (actually need another fill) or keeping it down. No reflux either, so I think I am okay. Just trying to get an idea if this was very common. I have always had that gas pain there, but this is bad enough that sometimes it hurts to stand up straight. YIPES! Meds don't seem to help too much either, plus Maalox and the like gives me horrible runs. :omg: Anyone got ideas here? Anyone have this too? :help: THANK YOU!!!!

wow. i hope its not something i would need meds for. i am sorry you had to deal with that. did you not have that before the band at all? i thought it was related to how much i ate, but i had a tiny little lunch and i still got the pain, albeit less.

oh Kryssa, how completely disheartening not to have answers! Just hang in there. I will be checking this for your progress. (((HUGS))) Oh and I see you are getting a fill tomorrow. maybe that will help, too. i am hoping for one soon myself.

Wow, Kryssa. I never heard of that stuff. Now when you say the low side of normal, do you mean the function or the TSH? OR did they even tell you? Just curious. and yes yes yes, keep us updated. If something like that will help, i would defintely be interested. forgive me if you said this before, but what other tests have you had done? what about your coritsol, like vines was explaining? have you had that? just curious. remember, you DESERVE answers. YOUR HEALTH (emphasis on YOUR) is important. just as much as any one, large or small. got it, girl? (And I mean that lovingly )

Well said! This is exactly what I was thinking on Friday when I was prepping myself for my doc's appointment. i was literally studying everything I could on the Internet and all the stuff that Vines posted on Cushings. I thought, "What the heck? Shouldn't he know this stuff?" BUT WAIT!! I went with all my knowledge in hand, lots of self pep talks , all the encouragement i received here, and a speech ready to give and you wouldn't believe the differnce in this appointment and my last. My doc listened to me and had an intelligent conversation. :clap2: Weird. very twilight zone. he even siad -- and THIS IS AN ALERT FOR OTHERS -- that i may have a milder case of Cushings, that does not mimic the sterotypical signs (ie.weight gain around face, BP problems, etc) So for those who think, that can't be me because of this symptom or that, you never know! PUSH PUSH PUSH! Currently we have decided to just increase my thyroid dosage and see how that does, but he said i should be able to tell the difference in a month. if not, he will test my cortisol levels. just like that, he agreed. anyway, i hope the thyroid bit works, but i guess we'll see. i am glad i went though, because they told me my thyroid was normal and left it at that before. turns out, it was at a very high point in the "normal" range. anyway, thanks again for all the encouragement. i will keep you posted.

Amen, Vines. 6 months in here, 4 pounds lost, and IM AM NOT GIVING UP!!!!! I WONT I WONT I WONT! Thank you! I needed this today.

Magic, You know what? I can't even remember what my doc actually said, I have just been looking stuff up on the net to get my numbers. Right now, I am trying to finish 3 liters a day. Usually I am lucky to finish 2! *sigh* guess I will just keep trying. This is still better than where I was. Good luck!