Aphrodite1984

I am scheduled for surgery in Mexico on May 24th, and my family DOES NOT approve of my decision. I am having my surgery done by Dr. Alberto Aceves who seems to be quite well known and experienced. They do not think that it is safe to go to Mexico for the surgery. Has anyone else faced these problems with family? How do I convince them that the surgery is relatively safe (of course there is the risk of complications)??? Help help HELP!!!!!!!!!!!:confused2:

I have noticed that my largest incision site is starting to get very hard as it heals. It feels that there is something underneath the skin (the port is in a different area, and I can feel it). My friend looked at it and said that it was probably a keloid scar forming. Does anyone know how to get rid of it, or to at least help make it less "hard"? I dont really mind since no one will probably ever see my stomach again, but I still would like to get rid of it.

The more weight that I have lost, the more fat I FEEL. Does that make any sense to anyone? I never felt fat when I was at my heaviest....its almost as if I was completely unaware that I was big. But now that I have started losing weight, I think I have become more conscious of my body and I feel really fat....even though I have lost weight. I dont mean to be wingeing, I have been doing really well in my weight loss and I have been feeling really good and exercising a lot more lately. Just wondering if anyone else has had this increase in self-awareness during their weight loss, and how long it took before they got over it? Hopefully not long, I dont want to be of those skinny people and complaining that I'm fat....soooo annoying :w00t:

aJoneen.............223............213..........0......223 ahsem2bme.......................244........................225........ .............0............244 Jodi_620............................196........................177.... .................0............196 Leslie2Lose........................224........................209..... ...............0.............224 livn4thm.............................235........................210... ..................0.............235 Tess ................................ 304 ...................... 280 ....................0 ...........304 Caramia71.........................208........................195...... ...............0.............208 Luu2008.............................203........................183... .................0............203 mominlv13.........................299.8.....................275...... ..............0.............299.8 Long2bthin...................248..................230................0 ..........248 Aphrodite1984..............208..................190.................0..........208

Hollie, Everyone is dealt a different hand, and we all have to deal with what we got. Some of us have to struggle with weight, or money, or family, but none of our struggles are the same. Example: I was always jealous of my neighbor/friend because his family life seemed perfect, and his parents gave him whatever he wanted. Meanwhile my parents were divorced, fighting, and I had to work for everything I had. It seemed that he never had to deal with any problems in his life. Then, sophomore year of college, his mom killed herself. Needless to say, I felt incredibly guilty for feeling the way that I had felt. Maybe this woman was born with a models body, and never had to work for it a day in her life. So what? Its not HER fault she's thin. But, I promise you, she has had other struggles in her life. The only person that you need to worry about is you, so put on your blinders when you are on the elliptical and keep your eyes on your own machine. This problem that you are having has nothing to do with anyone else, its within you. You can't change anyone else, only the way you react to them.

Wow, thanks girls. I really didn't think that this was normal, but I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one feeling this way. Its weird, because I really never thought I was very big. Like a few of you said, I would look in the mirror and think I looked ok. It wasnt until I saw myself in pictures did I realize that I was really heavy. Now, I am aware of every lump and bulge. I am sure that this will go away when I have lost the rest of my excess weight, and I can see a "normal", healthy person in myself. Thanks for the advice and words of support! You are all beautiful!!!

Congrats! The easy part is over now. This is when it gets tough. Good luck on the rest of your journey! I hope it goes as easy as the surgery went!

I LOVE Coke....I used to drink 4-5 per day, which undoubtedly contributed to my weight problem. I would call it an addiction, I couldnt even get my day started without one. Since surgery, I have tried it once. I could only drink about half a can. I do miss it, but the health benefits definitely outweigh my desires :thumbup:

I was on a BBW website because I was tired of meeting men who said I was "beautiful, intelligent, funny, etc, etc.....BUT...I dont like overweight women." Fair enough, I'm not attracted to overweight men either. I liked the website because the men are there because they LOVE big beautiful women. They WANT to be with a larger woman, and it really took a lot of the pressure off. You dont have to worry about "how am I going to tell him?" If you are on the site, it is assumed that either you are a BBW or you are attracted to BBW's. Men on those sites want to date you because you are BBW, not in spite of it. To them, its like hitting the jackpot. It would be like me finding a website thats full of dark, handsome, rich men (is there such a site???????:rolleyes2:)

Just remember that words can never be unsaid. If you are unsure, then wait until you know for sure what you want to do. I told my mom, and she betrayed my trust and told my whole family, and some others as well. I just wish I had never told her because this is such a private choice.

The desire to eat. For me, eating was a hobby, a way to kill some time, socialization, bonding, comfort....everything! In the old days, when I had a bad day at work I would stop by McDonalds for a double cheeseburger, large fries, and large coke. If I had some time to kill at the airport, I would go to Quiznos to get a sandwich and a coke. Its been hard to change my focus away from food...and I'm not completely there yet. I find myself wanting to eat, even though I'm not hungry. Its even a little sad for me...like I've lost my best friend. But its the best thing for me, and I need to be able to look at food as a way to nourish my body rather than as emotional comfort. I think the band is the only way that I will ever be able to do that.

Weird! I did not have that (although I did have a killer itch around my incisions about 2-3 days post-op), but I'm sure its more than possible. Maybe you could try meditation, bubble bath, breathing exercises, yoga, or some other form of relaxation. I know that there is a lot going on in your head right now (I was just banded two weeks ago!). Try to relax, its the best thing that you can do for yourself. Good luck on Thursday!!

It took me about 2 weeks for the really painful gas to subside. You will start to feel better every day...I promise. I am feeling great now!

Wow, I'm very sorry this happened to you. Its a great thing that you had the surgery though, because otherwise you may not have found out about the cysts until it was too late. I hope that the news is good for you. I dont think that you should look at this as a sign that you shouldnt have the surgery. Go forward with it, the best thing for your liver will be to lose weight....and for the rest of your body too!

Ewww. I'm glad I never had to take that!

Haha...its ok. Sometimes we all need someone to shake us back to reality. :confused:

I'm sorry you had a bad experience. I was banded in Mexico, and it was the best decision I ever made. The hospital was nicer and cleaner than any hospital I have been to in US. You really shouldn't make such generalizations. My brother got a staph infection in his shoulder and had NO medical procedure whatsoever. It can enter you body in any way.

I'm sorry that you have to deal with this. Unfortunately, ignorance will always be prevalent unless you decide to educate them. Thing is, its not your responsibility to do that. (Side note: my mom went behind my back and told people that I had the band placed. I told her I was mad because I didnt want anyone to know and I knew that people wouldnt understand the difference between gastric bypass and LapBand. She says "you have to educate them" But I dont WANT to educate them...thats why I didnt tell them!) I dont know what to tell you to do about Bob. I am sure its insecurity and stupidity. A lot of us harbor stereotypes and judgements in our minds (whether we acknowledge them or not). The difference is that intelligent educated people realize that these are not accurate. Good luck.

I'm not sure if you damaged your port, but I am pretty sure that its impossible for you to "rip the band away from your stomach." I am certain you won't die. If it doesn't feel better in a few days, call your doc.

Great job!

I get the WORST shoulder pain I have ever felt in my life. It feels like someone is stabbing me in the shoulder and digging the knife in. I am so glad that I found this thread, because I was just about to start my own. I have tried Pepcid AC, Tums, GasX strips, walking....nothing works. It seems to get worse after I eat, and then improves just in time for me to eat again. It feels worst when I take a deep breath. I have been trying to pay attention to which foods cause the worst pain, but at this point everything seems to cause it. Last night the pain was so bad I had to go to bed, and I was crying. My mom massaged my shoulder for a few minutes and that made it feel better but as soon a she stopped the pain came right back. Then, all of a sudden the pain was gone. About five minutes later I had to *ahem* pass gas about 5 times and then I felt fine. I just dont know what to do to get it to stop. Will I have this forever? Help...its just so painful!

I think Gadget is funny. I like to continue to see her illogical, self-righteous posts juxtaposed to BJean's logical and reasonable discussion. Slavery? Really? You're pulling out all the stops now. Please don't make me go into how incredibly insulting it is to make a comparison between a fertilized egg and a human being. Idiocy I can deal with, but racism is unacceptable. Please do us all a favor and never make this example again.

OMG you are a lifesaver! I am going to try pumpkin pie right now!!!

Take it slow. And although it seems that you have shared your concerns with this guy, you need to sit him down and tell him EXACTLY how painful it would be for you if your worst fear was realized, so you need to make sure that there is some sort of commitment before you do anything physical. Just make sure you are in a committed relationship before you do anything with your clothes off! Also, if he says that he understands this time then for god's sake....relax! If you need to, have glass of wine before you get naked....that always helps me!

I have terrible gas pain in my left shoulder and left side of my neck, but never in my back although I'm sure its more than possible....the body is a strange contraption. As for the dizziness, do you see an endocrinologist for your hypothyroidism? My mom has had hypothyroid for 25 years and the thyroid does so many strange things to the body. I'm sure the dizziness is related. See an endocrinologist to make sure all is well....they specialize in this kind of stuff.