Headhunter

“So headhunter, I would love to continue this with you all night” Of course, I’m sure you would like to continue ANYTHING with ANY male/female/device all night long, but of course, that ain’t gonna happen. I'm certain that even a battery-operated device would find you objectionable. “I have a husband who loves me and would like my attention” No, I’m thinking more that you have a German Shepard with a Glandular condition and box of Porn that needs your attention. Sweet Dreams, Cupcake. HH

Yup, I think Restless is right. If anything, losing weight with the Band CAN be the SLOWEST in the first few months, because many people take a LONG time to find their sweet spot. Not always, but often. Which is the funny thing about the band....it is SO variable. It works and behaves so differently for so many people, that it is really hard for doctors and other patients to say "It's gonna do THIS at THIS point in time" . I do think he was referring to the Bypass. HH

TWO monkeys now???? you want TWO monkeys??? darn, I'll have to pick up another crate of Bananas.... :wink: HH

Yep, Wasa's right. Mexicali isn't that bad, been there a few times. But Tijuana is a toilet. It is WAY more dangerous now than it was even a couple of years ago. Tijuana has NEVER been especially safe, but it has now pretty much turned into Baghdad on a bad Day. HH

Uh, Oh..... I'm in deep yogurt now. I've seen that look before....I better call her.....:wink:

Well now. Just an observation, but you’ve edited your reply to me THREE times in the last hour. Did you keep dropping the dictionary or something? “Good Lord! A class act you are NOT!” Now, considering a “class act” in YOUR neck of the woods would include a pair of overalls, wooden teeth, and a kitchen meth lab, I think I’m doing just fine, thank you. “REALLY??? SHOW ME JUST ONE INCIDENT OF THIS HAPPENING IN MEXICALI.” One other little point I need some clarification on. The OP said she was going to see Dr. Ortiz, who is in Tijuana. I made my post, and you came and babbled: “REALLY??? SHOW ME JUST ONE INCIDENT OF THIS HAPPENING IN MEXICALI.” You see, I’m just curious how you made that connection. The OP says Ortiz (in Tijuana). And you barf out “Mexicali”. We weren’t talking about Mexicali. We were talking about Tijuana. You know,….You’re really good geographically. Most people would kind of keep Tijuana and Mexicali separate, because they ARE, actually, separate places. But you managed to combine them into one place. That’s really unique and special, how you’re able to do that. Two places. Combined into one. All within the confines of your tiny little brain. Amazing. “Sitting behind a computer and calling people names makes you ridiculously pathetic and small minded where I come from” “where I come from” Please see above. Wooden teeth and Meth Labs. Toss in being nearly the foreclosure capital of the Planet, and you’ve got a place that no one really wants to be. And adding YOU into that mix makes it just that much LESS desirable. Unless you like Meth. And wooden teeth. “With a computer and the web at your finger tips, why would you need an almanac at all? Oh, but I LIKE Almanacs. It involves a heretofore-unknown-by-you skill called “reading”. Life isn’t all about computers, cupcake. I know they make it really easy for you, because they can show everything in bright, colorful PICTURES, and you don’t really have to know HOW to READ, but there is life beyond the Monitor. However, Google is probably a good thing for you. Especially Google MAPS. Use it. It will show you that Mexicali and Tijuana are geographically distinct locations. Hmmm… I think we covered that already. “I guess I stumped you on that one huh smarty pants?” Smarty Pants. SMARTY PANTS? Is that some kind of a comeback or something? Is that one of those razor-sharp, lightning-powered “zingers” you are so well known for? Yup. I thought so. Oh, and one final comment regarding your new username here at LBT. “FailureisntAnOption”. I have given it some thought, and I must inform you that this is incorrect for you. For YOU, Failure ISN’T an option. It’s standard Equipment. :wink: HH

My gosh. I saw the title to this one and I thought two things: 1.) It had be a post by "FailureIsntAnOption" and; 2.) It had nothing to do with a Lap Band problem. :wink: HH

Well, that's why I threw the chimp in. Even though I'M there, I know someone would STILL come because everyone LOVES a monkey! :wink: HH

Ok. Well, let’s see if we can put this all together. Here’s what we’ve got: It’ll be Headhunter, Restless Monkey, BethfromVA, and Cheetah the Chimp, in a Hot Tub at a cheap motel outside Tucson. We’ll need two gallons of frozen ice cream, A half gallon of Banana Daiquiris, 4 pounds of Bananas (for Cheetah) and a Doctor on call to provide Fills for Restless and Beth. Vincent D’Onofrio and Joaquin Phoenix are unavailable that night, so Richard Simmons will be filling in. No one should actually know the difference. Brad Pitt would LIKE to be there, but that evening he’ll be accompanying Angelina to a Surgery Center in Monterrey, Mexico, for a Vertical Lipectomey. They will be removing 4 pounds of butt fat that was transplanted into her lips several years ago. Apparently, Angelina recently suffered some massive facial trauma when they were on holiday in Monaco, when they decided to put the top down on the Mercedes Convertible. It was extremely windy that day, and Angelina was severely flogged by her own lips. Therefore, Brad will not be able to make it. Anything else we need to add in? :wink: HH

WHY do you continually insist on making everything about YOU? What in the hell is your problem? My post had NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with YOU. NOTHING. NADA. ZIP. I didn’t even MENTION you. OR your POST. But you think the whole world is talking to YOU. I have commented frequently in situations where people are considering traveling outside the country, and will continue to do so. Let me point out a couple of things, and as always, for YOUR benefit I will avoid any large words: Stacy Said: Can anyone give me any feedback? Most friends and family say "go for it". Then there are the few that say "Mexico---no way!" And I am doing JUST THAT, Cupcake. GIVING FEEDBACK. Got that? She asked…I gave. YOU were not involved. Not at ANY POINT were YOU involved in my message to her. She ASKED FOR FEEDBACK. But….”feedback” consists of more than one syllable….I guess that’s what confused you. “Many US Doctors will NOT provide aftercare to patients that are banded outside of the country. THERE ARE MANY DOCTORS THAT DO PROVIDE FOLLOW-UP CARE TO PATIENTS BANDED IN MEXICO. I AM ONE OF THOSE PATIENTS.” I didn’t say you WEREN’T. Again….why do you make EVERYTHING about YOU? Get over your freakin’ self. But I repeat: many Doctors do NOT. Fact, not My OPINION. If YOU found one that does, give Stacy his number, and then Shut UP. There’s nothing else you need to say. “REALLY??? SHOW ME JUST ONE INCIDENT OF THIS HAPPENING IN MEXICALI.” I’m sorry, but I don’t keep my Almanac of Mexican Violence handy at all times. And besides…I didn’t say anything remotely close to there being “Violence in Mexicali”, Did I? I merely said that there is increasing violence along the Border towns in Mexico. And that’s fact, whether YOU like it or not. When leaving the Country ANY responsible person needs to be AWARE of this….regardless of where they are going in Mexico. “I also feel that it's very important that you be within a reasonable proximity to the facility and Surgeon that performed your procedure, in the event that there is a problem of some sort. SHE ALREADY SAID SHE IS ONLY 2 HOURS AWAY!” She is across a NATIONAL BORDER from Mexico. Do you not understand that Mexico and the US are two entirely different countries? Jeez. Do you NOT understand that a theoretical “2 hours” does NOT mean a REAL 2 hours in the event of an EMERGENCY? I live two hours from Tijuana. But guess what, here’s a news flash for ya:: Sometimes it take 4 hours to get there….and 8 hours to get back. Anyone who is making this choice HAS to at least take that into consideration. Any REASONABLE, INTELLIGENT person, that is. But..well..uh….we’re talking about you here, so I guess THAT flies right out the window…. “WHO APPOINTED HER AS RESIDENT AUTHORITY. THERE ARE MANY OTHERS ON THIS SITE WHO HAVE GONE TO MEXICO FOR SURGERY.” HaHa. I’m gonna tell her you said that. She’s one of the more respected members of this forum, and she has provided more information, guidance, and assistance to people here than almost anyone else. She’s had TWO surgeries in Mexico, and there is NO ONE more qualified to dispense info on researching the Topic than her. She is THE person that most everyone with any experience here refers others to on this subject. But….I guess you’re more qualified. ROFLMAO! “Quit stalking me on this forum and move on to your next victim.” Stalking you??? What in the hell are you babbling about? I wouldn’t follow YOU around if you were dropping gold nuggets out of your ass. Incidentally, I’m glad you changed your screen name here. Using “Failure” as part of your name is much more appropriately descriptive than the other one. ATTN MODS: Again,…I didn’t start this one. I simply responded to a thread on the same subject that I have spoken on before, and “Failure” seems to want to make it all about “her”.

Stacy; Generally, I would be opposed to having a LB installed outside of the country, or even outside of your own geographical area. There are many things to consider, particularly the aftercare. Many US Doctors will NOT provide aftercare to patients that are banded outside of the country. I also feel that it's very important that you be within a reasonable proximity to the facility and Surgeon that performed your procedure, in the event that there is a problem of some sort. Also, there is the issue of liability in the event that is a problem....it's hard to go after an out-of-country Doctor if something goes wrong. Finally, there is the increasing incidence of violence along the Border cities with Mexico. Those are just a few of the reaons to re-think the idea of going to MX for surgery. Note that there are SOME Drs here in the US that are lowering their rates to attract additional patients....the economy is hitting even the WLS industry! I have not thoroughly investigated this, but I HAVE heard that many good surgeons here in the L.A. area are reducing their rates to compete with the mexican surgeons. It's worth spending some time looking into. One guy told me that a surgeon here reduced his rate dramatically when he told him that he was too expensive and that he was going to mexico. So, I would most certainly try looking at Surgeons here first. When I had my band installed, I also considered the option of going to Mexico, as I am a couple of hours from the Border as well. But, after researching I decided that it would be better to be CLOSER to the Doctor that put the band in, in the event of problems. But that was just my choice at the time. I STILL wouldn't feel comfortable having a National Border between me and my Doctor. Now, having said all that, there IS another side to the issue, and I would refer you to WasaBubbleButt here on this forum. She had her surgery (Both of them) performed in Mexico, and she is probably the resident authority on the subject here. She has some excellent information that will help you make the choice, and if you choose to go to mexico, she will know WHO you should be seeing there for your surgery. She's terrific, and a great source of information. She is a member here, BUT she spends more time these days over on the "sleeve" forum (www.verticalsleevetalk.com) where she WAS a moderator. I cannot overemphasize the quality of information that she has, so I would highly recommend that you PM her....she's always glad to help! Here is a Link to a discussion she put together on choosing a Mexican Surgeon. It has details in it that you won't find ANYWHERE else, so you really need to read it all. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f11/researching-mexican-lap-band-surgeons-101-a-66635/ So, regardless of what your choice is, best of luck to you in your selection and your eventual surgery! HH

NOT telling him is SO wrong on SO many levels. When he DOES find out (and he WILL) you might very well experience some serious damage to your relationship. Tell him. HH

Absolutely! In the MONKIEST of ways! I have these nasty dreams of You and Me and Cheetah in a hot tub at the San Diego Wild Animal Park, sipping on banana Daiquiris and dabbing Banana ICE CREAM into each others mouths….. YEAH, BABY!!!! (doing my best Austin Powers impression….) :w00t: HH

Ah, you're good for PLENTY!....But....the Ice Cream is a really nice bonus.... HH

well, SOMEBODY has to here, ya know. You know damn well I'M not gonna carry THAT torch! :ohmy: HH

now, i didn't actually SAY that Monkey was sane....only the VOICE of sanity... and yeah, you're good for Ice Cream! HH

That is very true. You CAN lose large amounts with the band. And there are people here who have proved it. And conversely, I think that those people who think that Bypass is ONLY for very large people are wrong as well. It all depends on the type of eating disorder you have. Neesh, listen to restless monkey....she's a common voice of sanity around here! And if you want to know about Ice Cream, see Beth. :ohmy: HH

"all wacky".....that's a Dental "technical term", ya know.....:ohmy: HH

I was in las Vegas a few weeks ago, and I had dinner at the Encore, which is Steve Wynn's new "extension" to the Wynn (clever name, I'd say:huh2:). I bit down hard on SOMETHING (think it was a piece of nut, encrusted Sea Bass or something like that). I broke off part of my tooth, and when I got back, i discovered i would have to have a root canal. Well, that led to other stuff. Years ago, I broke off three of my back teeth (I fell off of a stage during a gig in San Francisco), and they had to extract what was left of the three teeth. So, NOW my Dentist is telling me that I'm going to need something put up there to keep my jaw from going all wacky when I get older. And on the OTHER side, in the back there is a tooth missing that was extracted many years ago, but there are still some "shards" or something left over from it, and they need to be "cut" out, AND something put up there as well. The "Something" that needs to be put up on both side is Implants.....about $17,000 worth (Which will include a cleaning and a lollipop, by the way). Oh, and those old shards will be removed as well. I'm told that it's possible that the shards may be responsible for some infections I have experienced over the years. So, Restless, that's where the cash for our getaway is going. But you can have the lollipop..... HH

Unfortunately, that weekend in Cabo will have to be reduced to a thursday night at a Motel 6 outside of Tucson.... But it will be a DAMN FINE THURSDAY NIGHT!!!!!:ohmy: HH

Oh, Beth! Don't apologize! The funny part about all of this is that we all pretty much agree. In fact, I had a quite a long response written out to your post agreeing with most everything you said, and pointing out those areas. In another thread recently, WasaBubbleButt pointed out that sometimes what I say gets a bit lost in the way I say it, and I quite agree with that. In this case, I was merely incensed at the idea that what MIGHT be good advice should be ignored. That's pretty much it. People think I have a "Bypass Bias", because I HAVE a Bypass. That is so untrue. My ONLY bias is that people get it right the FIRST time,....because I didn't, and i really suffered for it. As far as my story, i'll PM you on that. It's quite interesting what happened, but people like to try and pick it apart...I saw that happening in THIS thread, which is why i decided to post a response other than the one I had written to you. "I got a fuller understanding of why a certain procedure might be recommended, how each one has its differences that may work for or against the patient" Yes, the procedures are very different, and my hope is always that people will choose the right one for them the first time out. A revision can be an ugly thing. People often think that the Lap Band is the "easier, less invasive" way , but it's not always the RIGHT way. Restriction and Malabsorbtion are two entirely different things, meant for different eating dysfunctions. I would characterize it this way. Say I was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer. But I say that instead of obtaining the best treatment for Pancreatic Cancer, I’m going to have the Treatment for Skin Cancer instead….because it’s less invasive, and more “comfortable” and “convenient”. Now, I’ll still get SOME benefit from the radiation and other protocols for the Skin cancer…..but it’s not the best treatment, and won’t ultimately give me the best results, because Skin Cancer is NOT what I have. It's the same with Band/Sleeve vs Bypass/DS. People who NEED the Malabsorbtion MAY benefit somewhat from the restriction of the band/Sleeve, BUT it's not the best solution, not at ALL. And it ultimately ends in Revision, or no weight loss. Elisabeth, by the way, put it very well, as did Restless, Unforgettable, Nanook, and others. I am NOT saying that one procedure is better than another, not at all. My "message" is simply that people need to choose what is CORRECT for their situation. That Might be the Band. That MIGHT be the Bypass. Or, it MIGHT just be less Ice Cream.:ohmy: HH

I'm beginning to think that Monkey-Style is far more preferable to my own. :ohmy: HH

Oh, you are SO correct. One of the elements of my story is that I put a lot of trust in someone that I should not have. I am SO skeptical of Doctors. If you think I'm a little "in your face" on THIS forum, you should see them cringe whenever I go into our Medical Center here!:ohmy: What I want to emphasize is that you CAN trust SOME Medical People. You just have to do the work to be able to find out WHO they are. And if you DO the work, and you have confidence in them, then by all means, listen to them. It seems that some people here took "listen" to mean "obey". That is not the case. And about your story of the Dentist.....I have a GREAT dentist who I Trust totally. I'm trusting him to do some work on me over the next couple of weeks. I'm trusting him to the tune of $17,000. HH

Elisabeth; Very well-put all the way around. I agree. HH

“My understanding is that your band eroded. That isn't a case of picking a procedure that didn't address your eating issues. It was a case of mechanical failure. Now, if you want to say that the band isn't "less invasive" like it's marketed to be due to your experience, I can see that, but saying it didn't address your issues smacks to me of re-writing history and IMO is misleading.” Then you would be partially wrong. My band failed me because it was the WRONG surgery for me. It simply didn’t do anything. And THEN the mechanical difficulties began. It was given plenty of opportunity to do what it was supposed to do, and it did not. My situation was complicated, and there were a lot of factors involved. But ultimately, the Band was NOT the right choice for me. Restriction was NOT my solution; Malabsorbtion was…and IS. “smacks”? hardly. It was installed. It didn’t work. Restriction did nothing for me. Then the mechanical problems began AFTER it had been inside me for a considerable time. I had the bypass and it DID work. There's no "re-writing" ......It is what it is. I have stated quite repeatedly that the OP should LISTEN to their Doctor, and take into consideration what they say. “But medicine is a partnership and your job is to provide the expertise on you. No one else knows you like you do and that's an important part of the equation.” It sounded like the OP HAD provided the “expertise on her”, and the Medical Team were making a recommendation. Am I understanding that everyone here is suggesting that you simply IGNORE what the Medical people are saying? I may be in the minority, but I WANT the Doctors to make recommendations. Nothing says that I have to accept the suggestions, but I’ll sure as hell stand by the notion that ANY responsible Medical Professional SHOULD make a recommendation as to what THEY think should be done, and let the patient make a decision based upon that. If I had cancer, I certainly wouldn’t want the doctor to say “well, you can have chemo or Radiation – you pick”. I would EXPECT them to explain them to me, and make a RECOMMENDATION based upon their years of experience and knowledge about the probable outcome. That’s what I pay my medical people for….their EXPERTISE. And part of that is being able to suggest/recommend the most likely route for success, based upon their EXPERIENCE with people in my situation. I’m not sure why anyone would disagree with that notion…… “And HH, I completely disagree that it's the job of our surgeons to influence us to pick one surgery over another.” And precisely where did I say that? I did not. Refer to my comments above regarding recommendations based upon expertise. Influencing is a far different concept than recommending or suggesting. “The job of health professions is to provide their medical expertise so that you make an informed choice and don't make a decision based on fear or misinformation. But medicine is a partnership and your job is to provide the expertise on you. No one else knows you like you do and that's an important part of the equation.” This is close to what I have been saying. If you’ve done your due diligence in selecting a Surgeon/Team, then you SHOULD be able to trust the recommendations that are given. That doesn’t mean you have to accept them. “Unless you have medical concerns that preclude one surgery or another, they all work. So it comes down to personal preference and which one you think will work the best for you.” Not entirely. If your NEED is malabsorbtion, then restriction won’t do jack for you. You may lose a little but, what you DO lose could hardly be called a “success”. I have said here before that “they all work to varying degrees” but to be successful you need to pick the RIGHT one. You do NOT want to do this over again. “There are some surgeons out there who are married to one procedure or another and, gee, everyone who comes to their office is a great candidate for it. Imagine that! When these health professionals recommend a bypass or a band, it's a completely meaningless recommendation because it really has nothing to do with YOU and everything to do with THEM.” I’m in total agreement with you here. This is why I continually harp on the idea of choosing the RIGHT Medical team for your procedure. I warn people about the “seminars” that are attended by potential patients. They are often no more than “sales presentations” and need to be regarded as such. “But there are other health care professionals who are more balanced and their recommendations mean something.” So what you’re saying is that you SHOULD listen to their recommendations if you trust the Doctor? That is precisely what I am saying. “The trick is to know which you are dealing with and that's where your self-knowledge comes into play. If your NUT and counselor were spot-on in their understanding of your issues, it is well worth it to listen to them. If they are just giving the generic "if you like sweets, you should get a bypass" advice -- which is overly simplistic and not necessarily true for everyone -- then their advice is meaningless.” This is yet another example of something I have been saying, again, all along. You need to find the best Surgeon and associated Team. People you can trust. But again: the OP said that both her Psych and Dietician had suggested that Bypass would be appropriate. IF they were correct in their evaluation of the OP, then what they say at least needs to be considered. “. If your NUT and counselor were spot-on in their understanding of your issues, it is well worth it to listen to them.” That is what I said. Bottom line here, folks, is that we agree here on MOST points. If anyone was thinking that I am suggesting that the OP simply shut up and do exactly what the Doctor says, that is totally wrong. I began my part in this discussion because someone here suggested that the OP ignore what the Medical Team was saying, and do what she wants. I think that is wrong, no matter how you look at it. If you’re not going to listen to the Medical Team you have chosen, then you shouldn’t have chosen THAT Medical Team. HH