gdf18

I'm really shocked!!!!! I thought Obamacare was supposed to eliminate refusals for pre-existing conditions.....this is CRAZY! Hope you can work it out soon. Now you have me thinking I really can't leave my current job until I hit Medicare in 5 years. OUCH! Please let us know what happens. If I can remember how to fix my ticker, I"ll take he plunge as well. I'm down 10....I was up about 60 at the worst of it, and am going to OA because I need the mental help. I need to be able to let the band do what it does and not eat around it. I so often am angry at the band when I can't eat instead of being happy I can't eat....so I need some work. More later- SOOOOOOOOO happy to see some familiar "avatars" and people. YAY. Gwenn

Good to see everyone. It's amazing all the stories about doctors one, two, three years later. Seems to me that some of them really have surgeon syndrome. They're good when there's cutting but for long term, they don't like to hear about problems, etc. There are exceptions of course of course of course....but seems like I wasn't alone with a doctor who didn't care once I wasn't a "poster child" for him. This is such a special field because of the lifetime challenges that surgeons have to realize that they're dealing with a population with an addiction problem as well as a physical problem. Maybe they should have a two doctor system....like having an internist and surgeon for other diseases. Maybe we should get hte ongoing care from someone other than a surgeon....just thinking out loud. I'll check in if others stop by as well. I need all the motivation I can get.

HI Turler! Saw a note that you'd posted and so good to see you! And SOOOOO proud of you! OMG- after all the trouble at the start- you are fantastic. Wish I were there wtih you. Guess you read my sad story. I'm still down about 40 and back on the wagon, but lost so much time and disappointed in myself (nothing new there). I finally decided to join OA and it's helping, even tho I don't like it. My band works, but not if I eat around it adn I'm an expert. So, back to the trenches to help me let the band work. Losing again. Hope all else is well. Stay in touch! I'll look now and then for responses or email me directly at gdf18@hotmail.com. By the way, I have no idea what my counter says if it's even still here. Let's see when I post. G Gwenn

I am right there with you. Lost 90 - had a terrible year where I unfortunately learned to eat around my band. Recently had surgery to fix a big problem with my port and tubing, and thought I'd be on the right track but nothing fits and I'm afraid to get on the scale. Starting back on a high Protein, low carb diet (YECCH- DIET) this week. I'm so miserable. Really miserable. Could use some support as well. I'm not changing my numbers here yet....hope springs eternal that I can lose before fixing! G

You look amazing. So many people tell me about the pain...you're so lucky. I'm so unsure. I want to do tummy, breasts and I guess I'd need arms. To me, it's about working on dropping the weight (I lost almost 100, had band problems, and now am back on track to get under 200) and being able to get smaller sizes. With the big boobs and belly, size doesn't change much and it's a big downer. But I'm 59 and am worrying about doing surgery. I've never had a problem, but I worry a lot. And if I do my breasts I'll need my arms done or else I'll be buying smaller and the arms won't fit. I'm afraid I'll look like frankenstein! No decisions to make now.Now it's about getting back down to where I was, and beyond. Thank you for sharing the pictures.

Wish I could send my story out to everyone, but maybe it will get around. Left shoulder pain should only happen for a week or so after surgery if at all. It starts as gas which is trapped. Why the left shoulder? Because it's actually pressure on the diaphragm and the diaphragm and left shoulder are attached at hte same spot on the spinal cord. Your brain reads it as shoulder pain. HOWEVER, anyone having it longer likely has a piece of excess tubing hitting the diaphragm. That's the cause. There is always a little excess tubing - not everyone has it hitting the diaphragm and not everyone experiences pain when it does. MY STORY- not only did I have excess tubing hitting my diaphragm-----a stray piece of body fat wrapped around the tubing forming a noose, or vise around my diaphragm. Million to one shot, right? I complained for over a year as the pain became worse and my original surgeon (I have happily moved on) ignored me, made me feel stupid, and had any excuse that didn't involve him. In the end, although it was not his fault that hte fat wrapped it, he ignored my pain and suffering, and who knows....did he leave in too much tubing, opening me up to the problem? Tubing can be moved and my new surgeon took one look at my xray and scheduled surgery (before they know about the noose effect). He just saw that it was hitting me inside and saw no reason for me to have pain. The rest was a surprise to all. STAND UP TO YOUR SURGEON OR GO FOR ANOTHER OPINION. I LEARNED A LESSON AT GREAT COST - LOST A YEAR + to pain and gained weight trying to avoid the pain. Great good luck to anyone who has this problem- take care of yourself....no one is going to do it for you.

Let's say that I'd recommend Dr. Cunneen.

Hi- got home last evening. A lot of repair work. Moved port- smaller port in the new space and I understand that they gave a lot of thought to how to set up the new tubing to the port to make sure i have less issues this time. The biggest work was the weirdest. Turns out that I had excess tubing which was hitting my diaphragm, which is generally the cause the shoulder pain - there are a number of people who have this happen. HOWEVER, I had a twist- rather than just touching it now and then, somehow a piece of loose fat had looped around the extra tubing and had literally attached it like a vise to my diaphragm....which is why I was in so much pain, more and more as time went on and this became solidified. So, quite a clean up. I'm hoping that no pain will mean a fresh start. The surgeon did not touch the band itself- all was well there- and so I don't need to do the same after band diet. I'm too open, but a fill will be a few weeks out until the port site heals. I'm going to try to stick to liquids and mushies for a few days and then just protein. Without the constant pain,I might be able to do that now. Now I have to get back to work and try to control the carb cravings. That's harder than surgery. Gwenn

Dr. Cunneen just did some repair work on my lapband, which was put in by another surgeon who is no longer part of the Cedar's group. So far, great news- pain I was having has shrunk to nothing. I understand that the issue was so strange that no one had seen it before. But at the root of the problem was excess tubing that wasn't necessary. And I had my port moved (not so unusual- personal preference) and a smaller port put in (Cunneen's preference). I've had an overall good experience with my band, but gained weight because of the problem caused by the excess tubing. Now I just want to get back on track and get the rest of the weight off. I like Dr. Cunneen very much so far. Seemed caring and patient with my many questions and the emotions that go along with repairs, etc. My husband also liked him very much. I'm hoping for a speedy recovery and to move forward.

Amazing that this came at this moment. Yes, I had significant repairs - just this Friday- home from Cedars last night. Khalili is no longer with the office at Cedars, which means you'd be on your own in terms of payment. Dr. Scott Cunneen just helped me- truly helped me- and he recently did bands and bypass on friends of mine- I would give Dr. Cunneen my highest recommendation.

WOW- was I surprised to see a lapbander come up in my email! And I have to tell you....I'm in exactly the same boat but my boat has extras. I've had shoulder pain for over a year- really got worse- and I started to eat more to avoid it. My surgeon gave me no answers and after months of research and pushing I had information. Also, my port was giving me a lot of discomfort when I had sex and also when I ate a lot. It ached! Finally, and to make a very long story shorter, I found a new surgeon and guess what my surgeon didn't tell me? There's tubing sitting on top of my diaphragm and that's been causing me the pain (seems the diaphragm and shoulder are connected to the same spot on the spinal cord and the brain makes the shoulder feel the pain). So, tomorrow morning- amazing that you wrote this week- I'm on my way in for repair work,and I'm hoping this will get me back on the straight and narrow. I gained back over 30 pounds...still down 55. I'm very grateful for what it's done- but I also have found out how to eat around hte band. Ice cream and pirates booty go right through. Now I've been back on tons of carbs and diet soda. The new surgeon told me he may be replacing the band- depends on what he sees when he goes in. IF he does, I'm back to square one with 3 weeks liquid protein...OKAY BY ME. So, I completely sympathize, empathize, etc. I guess they weren't lying when they said the band is just a tool and it's up to us. Same is true for gastic folks- after a year or two they start to gain cause dumping is over. No magic for us YET. I'll check back after I'm home from the hospital. If I can sit to get on- I'll be back on Sunday. Take care and WE CAN DO THIS! Gwenn