Headhunter

well....because I just NOW checked my shorts drawer, and NOTHING is out of the ordinary. There are the usual shorts, 3 screwdrivers, 6 packs of "D" batteries, four pairs of pantyhose (for those "special events" with Plain), 3 pairs of crotchless Biking shorts, a photo of Richard Simmons, a jar of vanilla powder I stole from Starbucks, a jar of vicks Vapo-Rub (you really don't want to know...) a can of WD-40, my collection of sanitary cakes taken from men's urinals during my trip across Romania, and the the receipt I got for an unauthorized donation to a sperm bank. All the usual stuff. HH

Oh, this is just swell.... ("swell"....hmmmm) the damn womenfolk have gone and got themselves all likkered up and are crashin' our johnson-fest. Next thing ya know, i'll be finding beth and kc staked out in my shorts drawer with a ruler and a pair of tweezers.....

Oh, it's true....that font just doesn't get any bigger....trust me...i've done everything I can think of....font porn, the smell of newsprint, you name it....nothin' makes it bigger....

Oh, I see.....well, then, in my case it would be WTF (that's as big as this font gets, otherwise...)

No, WTF??, actually, TPG..... where the hell did THAT come from? what is a Texas_Rose? another version of Failure/Donna?

Actually, I DON'T care about people's grammar, spelling, etc. At all. Not in the SLIGHTEST. It was a JOKE. JOKE That some people didn't "get". Beth did, 'cause Beth gets stuff! And as far as the "Queen's English", since when did Elton John get his OWN language? :smile2: HH

Nice! I love seeing when people do stuff like this! HH

And, as always, Restless Monkey has what might be the key for ya! She is SO right, and on the dehydration issue, people have come back after rehydrating and said that IT was was the answer. So, I would go with that. People don't really undertsnad HOW important simple Water is to this whole process. In fact, MANY people overeat becuase they think they are Hungry when, in fact, they are actuall THIRSTY. And if you DO see Khalili and you tell him about it, don't use any big words. Like "band"...... HH

Then I must have lost about 900 pounds... HH

Hey, you look WONDERFUL! Isn't this a great moment, when you can feel like you can post a photo and feel PROUD? You've accomplished a LOT, and you SHOULD feel proud. I'm just waiting for the Victoria's Secret pictures.....you DO have some VS stuff, don't you....? HH:tt2:

Nurse09: Ok. I haven’t followed this thread much, but a couple of things caught my eye. Thus, I have a few …uh…..”observations”. Nurse09 said: “You are right education is a good thing so maybe you should research a little bit more” Uh….Pardon me, Nursy, but there is virtually NO ONE on this ENTIRE forum that researches MORE and more completely than WasaBubbleButt. She researches this stuff more in a week than the vast majority of people do during their ENTIRE pre-surgery investigation. And it’s HIGH-QUALITY research as well. She doesn’t just read the backs of cereal boxes to get her information, the way it seems MOST people do who are “researching” the band. She KNOWS her stuff, both from experience, AND from detailed and meticulous research. And based on a couple of things I have read from YOU, you should probably be prohibited by law from even USING the word “research”. “The lapband is the safest and most effective bariatric surgery on the market today.” Baloney. (note: what I REALLY mean is Bullsh**t, but I’m trying to be polite…) THAT kind of statement is INCORRECT at its BEST, and HIGHLY IRRESPONSIBLE at it’s worst. It’s the kind of comment that leads people to making a decision that could be VERY WRONG for their particular circumstances, leading them to either NO weight loss, or the expense and physical trauma of a Revision Surgery. It MAY be the “best” for some people. Of Course it is. ALL of the surgeries are “Best” for SOMEONE. But to characterize ANY ONE of them as “the best” for EVERYONE suggests that you have done NO research at all. Different Surgeries. Different People. Different Bodies. Different Eating Disorders….etc.etc.. Understand that? There is NO one-size-fits-all Weight Loss Surgery. Several overlap to a certain degree, but NOTHING is “The Best”. Safest? Again, Wasa is correct. Nurse09 said: “so if i were to choose i would go with the lapband because at least you can reverse that one and not have as many complications with it” Not as many complications as WHAT, exactly? There are a few things that can happen with ALL the WLS procedures, but “not as many”? c’mon, wake up. Erosion, Port Flipping, Port infection, band Slippage, pouch dilation, Leaks, Port twists/flips, Reflux, Stomal obstructions…..the list goes on, and it is getting somewhat LONGER as time goes on. Not to mention the simple fact that in some people, the body simply REJECTS a foreign object that is placed into the body. (please note: there are people on the forum whose body will not reject ANY foreign object that is placed into it, but that is a whole other thread…...) One very important point that you do not seem to “get” is that with the Lap Band, it’s NOT as “reversible” as you might think. Sure, you can take it out. But by the time it has been determined that it NEEDS to be taken out, VERY OFTEN the damage has ALREADY BEEN DONE. This is the truest with erosion. And in SO many cases, when erosion is present, it PRECLUDES the possibility of ANY weight Loss Surgery being performed in the future. It’s not a simple matter of “oh well, it’s not working, let’s reverse it”. You can take it out, but very, very often, you CANNOT entirely repair the damage that it does. For SOME incidents of erosion, the ONLY way to repair the damage is by performing a Gastric Bypass. Ironic, eh? So this notion of “reversibility” is not all that’s cracked up to be. So, is ANY of this reason enough to NOT have the band? NO. NOT AT ALL. The band WORKS MIRACLES for SOME PEOPLE. LOTS of people, actually, but to characterize it as the “best”, and to discount the very real possibility of a wide range of side effects and complications that are possible is simply foolish. “If you look up the research you will see that the band is the most effective and safest over long term.” Where do you get this crap? There IS no “the research”. There ARE no unbiased, peer-reviewed studies that have been done that are STATISICALLY SIGNIFICANT that lend ANY credence to ANYTHING you are saying. At all. There are lots of single/Surgeon single/facility studies that “suggest” outcomes one way or another, but the kind of studies YOU are suggesting do NOT exist in any statistically SIGNIFICANT form. I mean, the band has only been approved here for a little over 7 years. Add to THAT the fact that the procedure for installation has CHANGED a bit since approval, there are now several TYPES of bands on the market, and there are different variations among the bands, etc, etc, etc. There ARE NO “the studies”, and there will NOT be for a number of years to come. Here’s one other piece of info for ya: last year I spoke with a Surgeon who is a recognized EXPERT in the area of Lap Band dysfunction and repair (he removed my Band). He stated in no uncertain terms that he felt that the band would be REMOVED from the market in 5 years or less, BECAUSE of the increasing incidents of erosion, and other complications. HE sees the problems on a DAILY basis. Now, I do not think that this will happen, because in spite of the many and increasing problems with the band, there have been some WONDERFUL outcomes with the Lap Band. What I THINK will happen is that the band will ultimately be considered as a “temporary” device, meant to be used for a specific period of time, and then removed, to avoid the more long-term complications such as erosion. I think that it will be hoped that the patient will utilize behavior modification techniques, and “learn” to eat differently while the band is present. There have been a few people on this board who have had their bands removed, and have gone on to maintain and continue their weight loss. It IS possible, and I think that the emphasis will eventually be shifted to this kind of concept – a temporary “aid” that will be combined with extensive Psychotherapy and Behavior modification therapies to produce the desired outcome. For those who CANNOT accomplish this and Restriction is found to be the key to their weight difficulties, then the Sleeve would be the next step. However….for SO many people, the Sleeve SHOULD be the first and only step. It is a viable, successful form of surgery that is quickly becoming the surgery of choice for a very large segment of the Obese population. “Do you think it is safer to cut into vital organs and re-route intestines verses putting something around one?” Jeez. In very, very many cases, that is what the patient NEEDS. As I have said so many times before, all of these surgeries are NOT entirely interchangeable. Some people need RESTRICTION. Some need Malabsorbtion. Some need both. Some need neither; they simply need some Cheesecake Abatement Therapy. “but it is over all the most effective and safest product as far as WLS goes.” You keep saying this. Where DO you GET this stuff? Some of the time it is. Often it is not. You need to LEARN this. So, as far as your future “research” goes, I have a suggestion for you. 1.) Come to this forum. 2.) PM WasaBubbleButt. 3.) Ask her your question. 4.) She will answer you. 5.) The answer will be, quite simply, AS PRECISE AS IT IS CAPABLE OF BEING. Wasa is a ROBOT as far as research. She knows what she is doing. THAT is what you need to do, and stop reading brochures from “Omar’s Nail, Massage, and Lap Band Surgery Center” HH

Hey Frenchy! Glad to see you're still on here.... Hey, call Kahlili and find out which band you have, and what amount you actually have in there......... Have you told him, specifically, about what you are experiencing? Does he know what is happening with you right now? HH

Dyanna; I'm known around here as someone who had a bad experience with the Band. But those experiences don't happen a lot, and a LOT of miracles HAVE happened as result of people taking the step to have the band installed. You said that you have spent the last year doing research, and you ended up feeling that the Band was the way to go. If that's the case, you simply need to put all of the fears and anxieties aside, and simply move forward in this process. If you've spent much time on this board, you will see that many, many people have some discomfort and problems right after their surgery, but they almost always pass through it and move on to achieve success. And there is NO reason to think that it won't happen for you. You may also note that it takes a while for some people to actually start losing weight post-surgery. That would be considered VERY normal. There have been several posts here lately about that. So, you're in good company. So simply kick back, relax, enjoy your pain meds, and know that in a few months you will very likely have an entirley new body. AND a new life. That's just the way that it works! :thumbup: HH

“I respectfully have to disagree with you. “ As many people do. “First off all I do believe that no Doctor in their sane mind would deliberately hurt another human being or intentionally install a Lap band the wrong way.” And just where did I say it was intentional or deliberate? I am certain that it WASN’T either. I believe he WAS incompetent. And, my biggest problem with him was his REACTION to me when I presented the problems. It’s that simple. “What happened to you is a rare exception and I am not in the position to judge you or your Doctor because I only know your side of the story. I am very careful with the information that I read in forums.” I have stated quite repeatedly that I KNOW that my experience was rare and unusual. But that doesn’t mean it DOESN’T happen to other people. Here’s a simple and unscientific, but legitimate observation. Take a look at this forum. Go to the front page. Look at the listing of all the various subtopics that are presented. Look for “Lap-Band Success Stories”. You’ll see that there are 47 threads and 448 posts Now, go further down. Look for “Lap band Complications”. You’ll see that there are 2,003 threads and 21,084 posts. It would appear that the Complications outweigh the Success Stories by a margin that could only be described as “vast”. Now, there are MANY reasons for this, and this is NOT an accurate measurement, but it DOES suggest that there are problems that ARE encountered by people. And my “message” to people is not to AVOID having the Lap band, rather make sure you do your homework THOROUGHLY so that you can mitigate the potential of there being problems in YOUR procedure. It’s that simple, and there should be nothing objectionable in that. And, one of the components of creating a successful surgical experience for yourself is CHOOSING the RIGHT SURGEON…..AND the RIGHT FACILITY. I am not clear AT ALL why anyone would find that concept objectionable. “At any rate, please do not take my candid words as a sign of disrespect or insult, I am just being honest.” No, I understand that, and I understand your concerns about the things I am saying. It’s not easy to hear this stuff when you are contemplating this procedure. “When I researched lapbanding I was so cautious about the entire procedure that I never thought I would actually find someone that I could really trust let alone agree to the procedure. “I am not some naive little teenager that is SOLD a surgery,” Understand that many, many people ARE naïve about this. It is an INDUSTRY. With billions of dollars at stake. And the Lap Band is the “darling” of the industry at the moment. A lot of people like to make the whole process sound very easy and rosy. Most often, it is. Sometimes it’s not. THAT is a reality. I am a highly educated woman that lived in several countries and cities and therefore carries suitcases full of life- experiences with her anywhere she goes. What I am trying to say is that I appreciate your concern and your advice but I truly believe that I can make an educated decision and distinguish between a money hungry crook and an honest, genuinely caring professional.” I never said that you WEREN’T capable of making a good decision. However, your responses in this thread would indicate that you DO have some reservations about it. And you should. It’s SURGERY. You should ALWAYS think twice or even three times before you have ANY elective surgery. And, I never said that MY surgeon was a “money hungry crook”. An incompetent brain-dead buffoon who should be slicing turkey at Subway perhaps, but not a money hungry crook. However….there ARE money-hungry crooks out there, and you do need to be aware of them. I suspect that Dr. Feiz is NOT one of those. He is probably a fine Surgeon. He probably slices turkey MUCH better than MY surgeon. “Again, I do not mean to offend you.” And I am not offended. You would know if I was. “As someone that searches for "Los Angeles" and "Cedars" I had to read at least 15 to 30 of your very detailed posts in this forum.” “I am sorry for you, I feel bad what happened to you and I wish you had a great experience like many other users on this board had. Please understand where I am coming from. I am a new user on this board and I am here to absorb the positive energy and spirit from positive people. I did not come here to be lectured about unethical or incompetent Doctors.” I often hear people say that they come here for “support and encouragement, NOT to hear bad things” or something like that. I need to point out that this forum is called “Lap Band Talk”, not “Lap Band Happy Land” Or “Band Nirvana”. People here talk about EVERYTHING with regard to the band. Not just the good stuff. You can find PLENTY of “positive” information about the surgery here, tons of terrific information about “good” doctors and positive outcomes. But I would have to seriously question your sense of reality if ALL you want to hear about is the “good stuff”. Choosing a WLS is the same as most anything else, really. When I buy a new car, I want to know its safety track record. I want to know if there have been recalls. I want to know if there is ANYTHING about that vehicle that might preclude the possibility of it being wise choice for MY requirements. Now, there MAY be something about a particular car that is a little negative, but if the GOOD outweighs the bad in an appropriate proportion, then I will most likely buy the Car because it fills some particular NEED for me….even though it might have some quirk that will annoy me. Now, with surgery, it’s a little different, but not THAT much. It’s still about your SAFETY. But if the potential POSITIVES outweigh the POTENTIAL negatives in a proportion that is comfortable for YOU, then you need to go for it. Plain and Simple. You CAN, however, have an IMPACT on those proportions by making the RIGHT CHOICES. And that’s what this about for me….making the RIGHT CHOICES. “I have arrived at a point in my life where I do not need to have EVERYTHING under control, I can very well live with the uncertainties of life itself and rather focus on the positive things and positive outcomes than to waste my time and life with worrying and negative thoughts.” “When something should go wrong I will deal with it with the same positive outlook.” You CANNOT control EVERYTHING in your life. It does take some people many years to arrive at that conclusion. It is often very liberating when you learn that important lesson. You CAN, however, significantly mitigate the possibility of something going wrong by making GOOD choices. You may not be able to change the OUTCOME of something once it is in process, but you can certainly have an impact on the way it turns out by the choices that you make going into it. “You really need to know how down lifting your posts are, especially for someone that is new here and was (until a couple of hours ago) very much looking forward to the journey she is about to embark on.” “Down lifting”? If you searched my posts outside of the Cedars references you will actually find many posts that are “Up Pushing”. I’m not an opponent of the Lap Band. I heartily encourage people to GET one, if they have determined that the Lap Band is what will help them with their particular issue. But PART of that “self-education” process HAS to be a “reality check”. Knowing the BAD stuff will HELP you make the decisions that will lead you to the GOOD stuff. I could spend the next few hours pounding out metaphors, examples, stories, etc, but the bottom line is that knowing the reality is NOT a bad thing. And knowing it should NOT keep you from having the surgery if you have determined that it IS what you need. I am VERY supportive of people moving forward on this. There are some WONDERFUL success stories in this forum, and some terrific people that will HELP you get to that “good place’ that you want to be. “I have to excuse myself now and have to take a very long shower; this negativity was just too much.” I also have to run and take a shower. But for an entirely different reason. :thumbup: Again, no disrespect intended... we just seem to be VERY different people and I don’t think lap-band-forum-life is the kind of support that will do me any good. And no disrespect was perceived. And, I think that if you knew me, you would find that we more alike than you might guess. We all have the same goals, dreams, and desires. For most of us, that includes good health. We are ALL on that path. “I am a highly educated woman that lived in several countries and cities and therefore carries suitcases full of life- experiences with her anywhere she goes.” And I have a suitcase as well. Unfortunately, mine contains a couple of half-empty bottles of Jack Daniels, some melted ice cream, some monkey food, a thong with the initials RS embroidered, and a citation from the Tucson Police Department for “lewd and lascivious conduct”. It’s a long story. Best of luck, and enjoy your journey! HH

"What is your profession? It is certainly a big reflection on your lack of education!" And how is my PROFESSION a "reflection" on my "lack of education"? That makes no sense at all. You really need to re-structure that sentence. Very, Very poor. HH

Hi, Moiola; Welcome to the Lap Band Forum! I SO agree with you about the pickiness of some people here. However…..there are a couple of things I’d like to mention: First, where you said “run on sentences”, it really SHOULD be articulated as “run-on” sentences. Also, with regard to our attitude towards writing style, the appropriate word would be “critical”, and not “discriminating”, as you put it. And finally, your final word, “content”, is followed by a period. You have placed TWO spaces between the word “content” and the period. ONE space would actually be quite sufficient. Thanks for your observations, and we’ll be looking for your next comment Real Soon Now! HH

Hi, Stella; One of things I have learned during my years of involvement with the WLS "industry" is that you really don't actually know what a surgeon is "made of" , good or bad, until something goes WRONG. I very often see people here on LBT giving high praises to their surgeon when everything goes well. Which is fine, I'm always hopeful that people's experiences DO go very well and that they have the outcome they desire. And the reality is that MOST surgeries do go fine, and I am certain that yours will, as well. But the fact is that there are some BAD people out there that are slicing into us, and you're really not going to find out WHO they are until it happens to you. I found out, and it wasn't fun. As I said, I am unfamilar with your particular surgeon, and I'm hoping that he is NOT a part of the Cedars-Sinai "structure" and that he is only "renting space" there as a Surgeon. I will tell you that not only was my surgeon a hack, but the entire Bariatric group was arrogant and difficult to deal with. And when the problems started, the hospital Administration was like a big concrete wall. So, I'll stand by MY experience (and it was only MY experience) that this is an organization you do NOT want to have poking around inside you. Now, having said that, I WILL say that the overnight stay was pretty nice. I liked the private rooms, and they served this really nice "italian ice " kind of stuff that I really liked. Except when i asked the orderly if I could have another one, and she snapped " That's not what I DO!". But, that could happen anywhere. I do NOT like to offer negativity to you preceding your surgery. However, I don't think that a little reality would hurt, and what I have said WAS the reality of at least ONE patient at that particular facility....me.:cool: I do wish you the best of luck, and please let us all know how the entire process goes for you! HH

I did not have My surgery by Dr. Feiz, however I did have it at Cedars. It was an awful experience, POST surgery. I WOULD NOT recommend that anyone utilize Cedars for their surgery. I do not know anything about Dr. Feiz, but if he is affiliated with their bariatric center, I would be highly suspicious of his ability to perform quality work. I did spend one night at Cedars. The care was relatively good that day/night. Later on, when complications set in, I spent over a week there. I was not impressed with the care I received at that point. I think they would have preferred that I had expired, and kept my mouth shut. Again....that was ONLY my experience, but I know a few auto mechanics would have done a better job with my Lap Band than Cedars did. HH

What??? This crap is still going?? Ok. I’ve got 5 minutes. I’ll bite. “First of all, you're just plain GROSS! “ Not NEARLY as gross as the visual I gave myself of you and Rin-Tin-Tin. Blech. I HATE myself for doing that. “any intelligent person can see what a creepy person you are.” Any INTELLIGENT Person? Ok, then by your OWN admission you can’t see what a creepy person I am. “I mean you have no info about yourself or even a photo.” I have no info about myself?....no, YOU have no info about myself. I actually have PLENTY of info about myself. And it’s pretty juicy stuff, Too. “I am really wasting my time sparring with your cowardly, obviously lonely self.” LONELY??? C’mon now. Listen, I’ve got Beth, Restless, PoolGirl, TWO Monkeys, more ice cream than I could eat in month, Richard Simmons in a thong, and I just got a call from YOUR German Shepard who says he wants to come out and join us in our Hot Tub RIGHT NOW. Seems he got a whiff of your “package”, it burned the skin off the insides of his nostrils, and he thinks he’d rather have his testicles deep-fried, than mount you again in THIS or any OTHER lifetime. “I'm gonna go upstairs and have wild sex alright, but with my lover,” Ok, well ANOTHER vomit-inducing visual right there, folks. “with your lover?? ” Well, I know THAT ain’t gonna happen, Cupcake, because Rin-Tin-Tin is on his way to Tucson to join me and the gang in the Hot Tub, with a quick stop along the way at a Local Free Clinic for a shot to clear up the little “gift” you gave him. “with my lover, which you obviously don't have or you wouldn't be online 24/7.” I’m NOT online 24/7. Only 24/6. On the seventh day, I go to church with Patty Green and give thanks to God that you are NOT my lover. The German Shepard goes with me as well. Whatever it was you gave him, penicillin is NOT clearing it up, so he’s looking for a Healin’. “I would think you would be too busy to be online bullying women day and night.” But….I’m NOT Bullying women. I’m bullying YOU. “I thought you said you were in demand for the talk show circuit?” I sure as hell will be in demand when I get the German Shepard to talk publicly about those things you made him do. “I have some wonderful things that I need to focus on the next few days” I’ll bet you do. It won’t be easy find a replacement for your German Shepard. Blind, with no sense of Smell. You’ve got your work cut out for you. ” I'm sure we'll butt heads again very soon.” You betcha. When I want some cheap, unchallenging amusement, I’ll come looking for ya. “If I didn't dislike your motive operandi” Oh God. That one is too simple. I’ll leave it alone. Some things simply need NO comment whatsoever. Nighty Nite. HH

That's one of the goofy things about this whole WLS thing. Everybody and his brother says "THIS is how it will be" after your surgery. Ain't so. It is SO individual. EVERYONE'S responses are so different. There are, of course, SOME commonalities in everyone's experience, but the reality is that everyone will have an entirely different outcome, both in the experience, and the result. HH

Ah , but you ARE rich....rich in the affections and admiration of the many people here that you help so much..... :scared2: HH

No rudeness from me here. (just this once.) I think it's a great idea. I'll tell you from experience that to replace my wardrobe cost me several thousand dollars. I donated everything I had (mostly) BUT, if I had had the option, I would have rather given it to someone SPECIFIC, who I knew would take good care of it and get some good use from it. Perhaps the Mods will take note and speak to Alex about making this a component of LBT. It wouldn't be hard to set up an exchange like this. HH

Be VERY, VERY grateful that this happened. It's a clue that you have a GOOD medical team behind you, a team that has your BEST INTERESTS at heart. The surgery is only ONE component of the entire process. A BIG part of it is what goes on a couple of feet ABOVE your waistline...your "mind". If your Psych thinks you're not ready....well....maybe you're not ready. Plain and simple. You need to LISTEN to what they say. And it's only another month. It probably took you many years to become overweight; another month won't hurt you. And it could be the best month you'll ever spend. Make sure you DO THE WORK; whatever the Psych says to do. You have to prepare your MIND for this The band doesn't do the work; YOU do the work. So, look at this as the VERY POSITIVE thing that it is. Because.....it is. HH

and poor taste...... Goodnight, all.... HH

As far as "attack", are you referring to the German Shepard I mentioned? Because, honestly, I don't think it was an attack dog....just an ordinary German Shepard with "needs". HH