kabeerah

fiveholts that was excellent advice! my dh understands my desire to this and has accepted it. i think the biggestest factor for him are trust issues. he trust that our friend will look out for my best interest. he is not so sure of the other doc. superdoc has the most experience out of everyone because he is a training doc. however, i wonder how many complications he has had. i mean he has banded over 5000...i fiond it hard to believe that they have all been perfect. not to mention many of them are seeking private docs for their aftercare so there is nobody to keep track of how many slips/erosions or other complications he's had. the doc who is scheduled to band me was trained in australia and has only banded 90 and does their after care...he claims no slips or erosions. i really appreciate you offering another perspective to balance things. on one hand i have legallykristen saying that this is typical of surgeons to ewant you to take their recommendation and on the other hand i have you saying...listen and take heed. whAT A DESICION! i really what to do this and had my hopes up high for this week, but i do not want a riskier procedure than neccessary. at the same time their is no ganrantee that super doc will band be or when/where. i'm desparate. my kids are bored and tired of me being to tired to do things with them. i hate being to tired. i cant even stand up and prepare a meal for my family. i have a live inmaid who does everything and i hTE IT. I FEEL LIKE I AM DISABLED BECAUSE of my weight. i do not think i am in the right frame of mind to make this desicision. i still want to do it but now i'm scared.

carlene congrats on your success. roberta, if i askedwhat u just asked me (because i dont know, but doubt there is one for the public), i would receive a smile and a "this is not america." thats what i am always told when i an talking about standards. my american friends say, "there u go thinking like an american again" lol

Photonut, I thanked my friend and told him that if he could get back with me with a definite date (in the near future) that his hospital will be equppied to band and super doc will be available to band/assist/proctor, then I would go with them. I tried to get something concrete from him, but indirectly, I didn't want to push it because I know that it would not have been professional. I know this doc cuz he took out my gallbladder over 3 years ago and has been a friend of our family every since. We had his son with us all day today. Both our families are expats here so we are like family. I know he means well but I want to go ahead with my plans. The problem with dh flying me to wherever super doc is, is that who will do my aftercare? My friend's hospital is not prepared yet. He has been telling me since december that he was waiting on equpiment, and it was months before that that I recall him telling my dh that he was appointed to set up a WLC. This is a government hospital and the procedure is free so its no telling when they will have it set up...O you have to be in this country to understand how it works...somebody could have that requisite just sitting on their desk and forgot all about it. Does anybody think that there is anything else I should discuss with my surgeon before being banded?

Carlene, i'm not exactly sure what he meant by the band failed. After he said that I told him that out of the 90 patients that the surgeon banded, he has had no cases of erosions or slips. When I told him that he just said trust me. It made me recall my original consultation with my surgeon. He took one look at me, saw how much I needed to lose and recommended the bypass over the band. Said from his experience his women patients gave up and did not do well. He said you must diet and exercise and lot of my women pastents are excited in the beginning but it doesnt last. Perhaps these are the patients he had to eventually switch over. If this is the case I understand, but i'm thinking my friend may not. The band is new to him and he is a great surgeon who has learned to put it on but admitted to me himself that he would not be doing my follow up (well only %20 he said), he said I would work mostly with the nutritionist. I am taking these surgeons for what they are...surgeons..if I could put the band on myself I would but I can't so I need them...the rest will really be up to me...I am prepared for that, God-Willing. About the culture thing. Dh and I are American. Dh is a true blue American as apple pie. Former Irish catholic, but reminds me of Archie Bucker all the way. The most opionated, sexist, racist, everything eslist person you could meet. Though he denies it. He comes off as a good ole boy...the boy next door...but I see right thru it...lol

thanks everybody. i honestly dont see anything wrong with the surgeon. please if anybody else has comments or thoughts...spill it. strawarts, i would like to clarify something. i think u misunderstood me cuz i was rambling. i do not think it was any faut of the patients if they did not succeed. i also do not think it was the bands fault. nor do i believe that i will be more successful based on suppoort. what i mean is that here in saudi the doctors do not explain things to you. i have seen this and doctors are usually either annoyed with me or impressed, because they are shocked that i come to them informed. b4 i go to the docs i always to my reseach. i was misdiagosed 3x for a severe snus infection. this went on for 2 weeks of intense pain so bad my eye sockets and teeth hurt along with everything else obviuosly associated with my sinus. each time i told the docs what was wrong with me and they all said no. it was not until i forced my way in on a ent dr that i got proper treatment. the dr are banding patients and merely telling them not to eat sweets. i have recieved no instructions on anything abiout the band from them. i have learned everything from the internet. bit sizes, chewing, no Water with meals, Protein first, then veggies, all the bandster rules. this is why i believed they failed...they werent given proper instruction. my surgeon/friend even told me trhey do not band for 6 months! i told him it was crazy and that if i need an adjustment before 6 months i want it. he said ok but told me the same as the other 2 surgeons i spoke to from different hospitals...that just cuz u have the band doesnt mean that u dont have to watch what u eat. i know that but it seems to me that the surgeons are expecting the band to work with no restriction and the patients are probably thinking the samething to. the surgeon who is planning to band me gave me a better answer when i asked him when you can get an adjustment. he said when i come in for my check up we will determine that and stated that most patients are adjusted every 2-3 months. he (rather the hospital)also does not charge for the adjustment just the office visit.

lol...i have gained quiet a bit since i made my decision to be banded to. to make things worse dh drove me out of towmn today to go to a town that has western stuff (i live in saudi). so i went to a mall so i could go to gnc and get some protein stuff. i spotted a cheesecake factory and heded for it. dh told me no! i let it go at first then reminded him that i was to be banded next week. he reminded me that if i didnt eat that type of stuff then i wouldnt need the band. he said u should be thanking me...just take no for an answer. so i told him when the kids are sleep tonight and he approaches me then he needs to take no for an answer. so he said, fine go get it if u want it that bad...lol! i had a slice of german chocalate cheese cake. my weight has never bothered dh in the past but now that i have had this last supper syndrome i think he thinks i'm mental! oh and that ate all. after this he took me to a western supermarket so i could get some soups, slimfast, and other things to get me thru the post-op diet. my nephew spots some breyers icecream. for 4 yrs now i have been complaining about missing my breyers ice cream. how in the world did they wait until a week before i ge banded to import this! so i did what any pre bandster in my shoes would do. i bought 3 pints!

Anne, I was so relieved when you said you got it fixed. I am so glad you did not lose it! relax and take care of yourself. Do you have to do the same post-op diet?

I agree with you! My situation is similar to yours and sounds like our cheapsake husbands were separated at birth. I told my dh to consider it an investment cuz our grocery bill will probably go down at least half of what it normally is. Not only because my portions will be smaller but I am limiting everyone elsdes processed/junk food. I say go for it! If the money is not an issue. All bills can still be paid and you will not go into debt...just do it! A year is a very long time. I have gained about 25 lbs just waiting around these last 3 months for mine...I told dh if I dont get it done soon I will just have more to lose when I do.

weigh to go!

You guys are terrific! I'm sorry for not updating but I don't know if it's me or the board but I have the hardest time accessing this board! Dh panicked and overreacted as he does in any situation he feels he has lost control over (I mean he called an ambulance to take me to hospital and screamed at the driver which is something he never does...saying youhave to take us to the hospital my wife has gangrene! It was the compounds ambulance and he was taking me to the medical center on the compound not the ER because he can't just take us to ER cuz we said so he has to get dr referral). Ok so the tissue are alive and kicking, ie no gangrene, praise God! I went yesterday for my toe surgury and informed the doc that I am to be banded in a week God-Willing. He postponed the surgury because he did not want to risk spreading bacteria into my blood stream (he knows the surgeon who will do it and did not say anything of course he is not my friend but he didnt look worried and in fact told me that it was a good idea to do it. when I told him that i wantded done at his hospital he said yeah but we only have a doc from jeddah come in from time to time and we dont know when he is coming back...if u dont know what i'm talking about read my latest post on my bind...not band).

have had an infected ingrown toenail for almost 3 months. The pus was really smelly and now the nail is turning black. I was to have surgury on it this wedsnday but dh is taking me to ER ASAP. I'm really scared and don't know what to expect. It's about a 1/4 of my big toenail that is black. I have my WLS next week. How did I let myself get like this? I am so depressed.<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

OMG Angel, I feel the same way. I almost feel guilty for being depressed when I hear about others ordeals. I mean, I have a great life. I really hope that losing the weight will help me, but I have some c-dependancy problems to. I am raising a special needs child that is not mine and it is causing problems in my home. Now I'm trying to find alternative living for the child I have raised all his life (14 yrs but in my home for 7) and tTHAT IS STRESSFUL BECAUSE i KNOW IT WILL BE BEST FOR MY FAMILY BUT MAYBE NOT BEST FOR HIM. All my life my issues were always from other people (to this day my mom is unhappy and that depresses me now and as a child), besides that my personal situation has been good.

Ok I'm lost. How did John lose all his weight?!

Awww VQ, I am so sorry you are having a hard time (did I miss something, what are the test for?). You are a poster I look forward to coming on board to read. I hope all goes well with you.

I am so glad you stated first things first, my heart could not take the worry. You can not imagine my relief when I read it so I'm sure I can't imagine your relief when you got the news. Still the waiting game to find out if you can keep the band is a bummer.

Congratulations!

GOOOOOD MORNING LBT!!! You will not believe how things have improved for me, all the thanks and praise be to God! I had my consult with my new surgeon at the hospital of my dreams. Last year I went there when I was pregnant and intended on delivering there. I saved all the money, but something came up and I wanted to help my dh out so I told him to just use that money and I would have the baby at the government hospital. He was concerned, because the government hospital is old and dirty looking and we feared catching an infection. Everything worked out fine and in the end I was pleased that ewe chose them, because my baby was trapped inside due to the adhesion from my previous c secs around the uterus and the wall off the abdomen. The emergency tea that was dispensed were great and were able to save my life and the life of my son as time was ticking for both of us. Now this new hospital is very modern and very clean with high standards. The rooms are much better (two to a room as opposded to four at the government hospital and showers in the bathroom in your room as opposed to comunnity showers on the ward). The surgeon is a blast. When I first walkjed in the room he gave me this once over look and smirked. He said, "you want the band?" I said, "yes". "what makes you think the band is for you?", I explained all my reasons. He said (quite frankly), "you have a lot of weight to lose, I think bypass is better for you". I told him how I felt about bypass in no uncertain terms and told him I had done my reseacrh and that I knew people who weighed more then m e (BMI 49) that have had great success with the band. I asked him what was the heaviest patient he ever bandesd. He said, "179kg BUT he was a MAN". I was not agree or offended, I actually laughed and said, "so what what difference does it make". He said, "men are different they take it more serious and follow the diet and exercise program better, women tend to be excited in the beginning but fall off this is why I suggest the bypass for you". That's when I started bragging about you guys. I told him that I believe I have better resources(the support boards) than most of his patients and that I was determined to do well with the band and realised that it was only a tool. He gave me his little smug look (it was actually really cute because I love brutally honest people as opposed to people worried about being pc) and said, "ok the choice is yours when you have made up your mind come back and we can get everything started." I told him my mind was made up and that I was ready to get eveything started now, because I had been waiting for over 3 months. I told him about the government hospital and he told me that they would not be prepared anytime soon as they had just completed their training and had not recieved their equipment or a supervising band surgeon (the surgeon who trained them floats around the Kingdom training). He drew up all my papers and sent me to billing telling me to tell them that I wanted the complete package ($3750) other wise I would be charged for all the preop stuff. The man in billing was so nice to me it was a Godsend. He told me that I could apply to the Royal Commission for a discount, which I will do today. I have to write a letter. My doctor told me to tell them that he recommends this for me, he thinks I maybe able to get %25-%50 off, God Willing. The man in billing told me not to worry about the test and stamped them PAID IN FULL and sent me to the lab, ECG, and Chest x-ray. I got all of that done and have a surgery date schduled for for the end of the month! March 29th! I have an appointment to see the psychologist/psychiatrist? and the Endo dr. the evening before the surgury. If all goes well I can check in the hospital that night (required) and will have the surgury that morning and be released the following morning, God Willing. I am si excited. Everything happens for a reason. A poster on my other post said that God pushed me to looking for alternative hospitals and I believe this concept is true. My dh was encouaging me to be patient and wait for the free surgury because his car is in the shop! He is contemplating buying a new one because he can't find the needed part, and was hoping he could start saving for that. I reminded him as the poster reminded me. I said, "don't you believe that this is 'Qadr Allah Wa Masha fa al' (The decree of God and this is what He has Willed)?" He said yes and accepted this. He was very pleased to find out that we may get a discount (so pleased that he did not complain about missing his tenis game so that he can go turn in my letter while I am at the other hospital having surgury on my toe). Speaking of my toe, when told that I was having surgury on it my new dr. asked to see it. He cleaned it and showed me how to properly cut my nail and stuff cotton under the nail to keep it from growing under the skin. He said that surgury wsn't nessiccary and that it should heal in no more than 10 days if I followed what he sdhowed me. I am still opting for the surgury. I had it before but it keeps the ingrown toenails at bay for a few years and gives me some relief. Otherwise I get them every few months or so. I digress. Okay guys off to composing my letter for the discount. Any words of wisdom?

Dody, that is great. Your post bought tears to my eyes. You remind me of my mother with your generousity towards your family.

hi ms.vicki. i know it sounds so clichew, but don't you feel blessed? ABOUT YOUR DD'S TOENAIL, I ALWAYS ASSUMED THEY GREW BACK...WOW!

Yes He Is. Thank You.

That is a big fear. Actually even local scares me. It reminds me of death. I have had 3 c secs (2 with local 3rd was local but swithched to general due to complications) and my gall bladder taking out. Always scary. Which reminds me....Oh I'll start a new thread about that.

Susan, it really is amazing isn't it. I strongly believe in the power of prayer, well the power of God who answrers our prayers because there is no power or might accept for Him.

Thank you everyone for your encouragement and kind words. I boasted about you guys to my doctor.

Hello Everyone I haven't posted for a while and rarely visit the board these days. I had slipped into a pretty bad funk because I have no clue when I will be banded. If you recall, I have the opportunity to be banded for free at the Government Hospital. The problem is that the WLC is newly established and the equippment hasn't arrived yet. My surgeon keeps saying that it should be here soon, but I know how these things work. It could be tomorrow or it could be forever. The last time I spoke with him he was writing a letter to the head of the Ministry of Health to remind him that he was set up and ready to go, but needs his equipment. Today, I had to go to the hospital to have an infected ingrown toenail checked out. It has been like this for two months and has been part of my depression because I do not leave the house, as it is too painful to walk. I was given a creme by a doctor at the clinic a while back, but even then I suspected it needed drained. Well the dr. today asked if I had diabetes because it is healing so slow. I probably do. I have had gestational diabetres with all of my pregnancies and I have not had follow up since my son was born. I really don't want to know. Anyway, I am scheduleed to have surgery on my toe wedsnday, God Willing. They will remove the root of the nail, drain and clean the absess. That got me to thinking about my weight again. If I could lose it, I may not have to worry about diabetes and these horrible infections I get from my chronic ingrown toenails. I started calling the private hospitals in my area. A few months ago I had contacted a known specialty hosptial that actually has a baratric clinic and advertises for this and whose publications I have read in online medical journals about studies for the gastric band. They charge about $6500.00 for the band so I dismissed that idea and tired to patiently wait for my dr. Well I couldn't take it anymore and I called two other very good private hospitals in the area. One charged the same and the other, my favorite charges less than $4000.00. I like this hospital and always have because they are ran by a sub-government. They are paid for by the major oil companies for their employers. So they do not profit like totally private hospitals. I spoke with the dr. and he was very knowledgable about the band. Much more than my dr who I know really doesnt know much. He is a good surgeon but has only done 3 bands and doesnt know much more than how to put it on. This other dr. was able to discuss it with me and had done 90 bands himself. I am to have a consultation with him tommorow and if all goes well can be banded in about two weeks! It is amazing how good news can lift your spirits. I feel so much better. I still must work on being patient because now I am very anxious to get it over with. I guess i'll be hanging out around here more

Now see that's what I'm afriad of...being physically restricted and unable to take another bite but still being genuinely hungry...growling stomach and all,