DebLPN

Hello from the Jackson area! I was banded Jan 29th, 2007 by Dr Ken Cleveland at CMMC. We have a support meeting the 2nd Tues of each month. Also, there is a support meeting with a psychologist prior to the other support meeting,,lol. Last time I went, I was the only bandster there,,out of about 25 folks. I've seen 2 or 3 other times. There IS a Mississippi thread, under the states section and a few have posted there. Good to see other G.R.I.T.S.!!!!!!

Welllllll,,,I woke up yesterday and my left shoulder pain was GONE! Actually,,,it moved down my arm to my bicep, but was MUCH less hurtful, altho I do have some numbness,,ohwell,,it's not gonna kill me,,i hope,,hahahaha. My surgeon poo-pooed the gas theory, its common after surgery, but I'm 6 months out,,any CO2 that was shot into me is long gone by now. Anywhooooooo,,I just hope it doesnt come back.

I was banded on Jan 29th, 2007. I was a self pay and it cost me $16,500. That incliuded the surgeon, anesthesia, hospital charges, the preop scope, any complications the first 6 months, office follow-ups and all fills for one year.

Bariatric Surgeon Profile - Kenneth Cleveland, M.D.

Central Mississippi Medical Center

I'm very pleased with my treatment pre and post op. I see Dr Cleveland once a month for one year. He is thorough and no nonsense, and I like that. I highly recommend Dr Cleveland and CMMC. :clap2:

Interesting article,,,,,,,,,,what i want to know is,,,is there anything they can do to stop the excrutiating pain?????????????? I'm 6 months out and its killing me. It interfers with my everyday life adn is constant.

My left shoulder/arm pain started 8 days ago and hasn't eased any since. It doesnt matter if I'm full or empty, active or sedentary, awake of asleep. I've tried Gas-X, pain pills, antiiflammatories, antianxiety pills, coldpacks, hotpacks, hand held vibrator,,nothing helps. I almost cry everyday, knowing I can't exist like this the rest of my life.

This is day 8 of my shoulder pain. It is constant,,doesnt matter if i'm empty, full, active, sedentary and exercising doesnt help any either. I've taken pain pills, Gas-X, antiinflammatories,,nothing helps. I cant live the rest of my life in this pain.

I've been banded since 1/29/07 and one week ago, woke up with what i thought was a crick in my neck. My left shoulder/arm has hurt like holy hell every waking moment of every day since. I"ve eatten gas X, Tylenol, Aleve, Xanax, Flexeril and Tramadol and NOTHING helps. I cant live with this kind of unrelenting pain for the rest of my life. Ohyeah,,there is numbness too,,along my arm and my fingertips. I find it peculiar that with as many people on this site that have it,,and all the websites I looked at(i just typed in 'left arm pain bariatric surgery')they ALL mention that it is common to have this type of pain, yet my surgeon never mentioned this as a side effect or complication. None of the sites say if it lasts forever or comes and goes ,,nothing,,and they sure dont mention what the hell to do to aleviate the pain. Its 11pm, i just took my xanax and Tramadol,,HOPEFULLY I will get some sleep.< /p>

(checking to see if i actually learned how to chankge my ticker)

Well,,,its 5 days since my last post here and my arm/shoulder.scapula still hurt like hell. Nothing helps. My next visit is next Thursady,,if I can make it that long without calling him to amputate my arm. sighs

Went to Water aerobics today,hoping it might help my left shoulder/arm pain, but it didn't. It has hurt nonstop until I've almost gone to teh ER except I have no insurance and I know they cant do anything anyway. Gonna call my surgeon Monday,,I cant go on like this much longer.It hurts regardless of whether I've eaten or not, whether I'm standing, sitting, laying down.

My shoulder pain has been awful all day long today. No matter what I do, it hurts. I read alot of articles online about bariatric surgery and left shoulder pain and it appears that it is a fairly common problem. Diaphram nerves irritated/injured and referred pain to the left shoulder. None of the articles gave any indication of how long the pain will last, what to do to aleviate it,,nothing. Just says 'it happens'. PFFFFT

DBAGuy summed it all up, as far as I'm concerned. I'm going to counseling to deal with some 'issues' that are holding me back in different areas of my life, and overeating is a result of some of those unresoved issues. It helps me to think back and remember what I sacrificed in order to pay almost $20,000 for this surgery. Is that bite of forbidden food worth $20,000? I admit,,sometimes it is, but 99% of teh time I choose not to take that bite. It's a slippery slope and I dont want to go back to doing the same ole things that got me the same ole results. Thanks everyone for your honesty.

banded 1/29/07

Dr Ken Cleveland-CMMC-Jackson, MS

1.66cc/4cc

I was banded 1/29/07, have had 2 fills, I'm at 1.6cc/4cc band and feel no restirction. I'll keep plugging along , get another fill at the end of the month, see if it finds my 'sweet spot'

I'm on my second fill (now at 1.6cc in a 4cc band) and still dont really feel any restirction. I've read that obviously, its not hit my 'sweet spot' yet. The only time I feel anything is when I tried to eat a hunk of chicken and didnt chew it well enough and I thought my chest was gonna explode! Staying busy helps me not to ruminate about food and staying off teh computer and away from teh tv helps too. Wter aerobics is fun for me, so I'll keep that up. Hopefully, my next visit to my surgeon, I'll ask for a fill and see what happens from there.

banded 1/29/07

Dr Ken Cleveland-CMMC-Jackson, MS

1.6cc/4cc

Now ya'll have me worried. I woke up 2 days ago and thought I had a crick in my neck. Wasn't too bad and I went to Water aerobics but when nighttime arrived, it got worse. I took a painpill(yessss,,leftover from surgery)and went to bed. Had a toss and turn night. Woke up with a sharp stabbing pain up at teh top of my upper arm(above my smallpox vaccination, for all us older folks)Is this the type pain ya'll are talking about?? I have no insurance and cant afford to have my gall bladder removed, so I'm hoping I just slept on it wopsided,,lol.

I admit, I had 2 really reckless weeks 3 weeks ago. Anything that was bad for me,,I ate. chocolate, pizza, fried green tomatoes,,lol,,and portions that were too big. Still havent found that 'sweet spot' yet, altho I've had 2 fills. Back on track for over a week now and feeling so much better, physically and mentally. Went back on my antidepression meds that I was taking prior to surgery and that has helped. Going to Water aerobics 3 times a week. Trying to not sit in front of the tv or on the ciomputer as they all lead me to snack. Regardless of what I read here and everywhere else,,no matter what I was told, I honestly thought the band would cure my obesity and I would never have to worry about overeating again. I'm an intelligent woman, but it's funny how my mind wanted the easy way out of a life-long problem. I still have the head hunger, problems with portion size and food choices. SOme days, I wish I had done the gastric bypass instead of the banding. Those are the bad days,,and theyre few and far between. I'm also going to counseling once a month(thats all i can afford) to work on some of my issues. Went to a presupport group counseling session that the psychologist offers at no charge (if you have no insurance)and then to the support meeting. There were about 25 people there and I was the only one with teh band. One gal was there as part of her presurgical thing and she was having teh band. Got alot of encouragement from the group, altho, I wish more band people had shown up. Not nearly as many bandsters in my area. Thats why I'm glad I have this site to visit. Thanks ya'll!!!!!

banded 1/29/07

Dr Ken Cleveland-CMMC-Jackson, MS

1.6cc/4cc

Hi Lee,

I go to a gym to do my Water exercises so I dont have to rearrange my schedule. I go 3 times a week,,maybe 4. My knee is shot, so Water is best for me.

Regarding the ticker, just go to:

Graphical Tickers for your Signature, Message Boards, Blogs and Web Page

choose the ticker you like , click next, choose again,,click next

enter the info it asks for,,click next

It will show you your current wt loss and BMI

scroll down and copy the bbCode

to to EDIT SIGNATURE on lapbandtalk.com

paste it in the blank box,,click ok

Post something and it should show your ticker at the botton of the post.

I just did it for myself,,I was having a friend do it for me, cause I'm a dummy when it comes to these things!

Ya'll keep posting,,its comforting to see people close to me being successful!

WOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Doesn't it feel GREAT to see the scales moving DOWN for a change? LOL

Keep up the good work!!

banded 1/29/07

Dr Ken Cleveland-CMMC-Jackson, MS

331/273/150

1.6cc/4cc

Rick,

One thing about my self pay option was that I got a package deal. Cost me $16,500, but that included all the presurg lab and any complications for 6 months and all the fills I required for a year. One girl who had insurance told me they billed the insurance like, $24,000 and she has to pay for all her fills, plus she had about $3,000 out of pocket. Being in insurance for 25 years before becoming a nurse,,I know doctors will bill higher on the insurance than they charge a self pay,,eith way,,they get their money,,lol.

Presurg-arrive at hospital at 5:30am

put on gown, wheel me to the production line,,lol

meet anesthesiologist, nurse, see my surgeon again,,

they pushed the meds in my IV,,

I remember waking up in my room and hurting

I have a low threshold for pain, got lots of meds

Stayed overnight, went home around noon.

No gas,,just hurting, bent over. One a scale of 1-10, it was

about a 4. I kept looking at my incisions and saying GEE! That

wasnt so bad afterall!

Was it worth the money? ABSO-FRECKIN-LUTELY!!!

Would I sacriffice alot to do it again?? NO QUESTION!!

Good luck and keep on posting!!!

banded 1/29/07

Dr Ken Cleveland-CMMC-Jackson, MS

331/273/150

1.6cc/4cc band

My approach to liveing the rest of my life banded was to change my eating habits. For brekkie, I have a cup of coffee w/ skim milk and take my Vitamin, Calcium, Biotin. 30 mins later, an Adkins Advantage bar. If I want a mid-mornng snack, I'll grab a Carb Master yogurt. lunch, turkey and low fat swiss or american cheese wrap. Perhaps a piece of fruit midafternoon. Supper, a slice of quiche or spaghetti(no pasta), really whatever I want, just small portioned. I CHOOSE not to eat breads, white rice, refined white flour in any form and no refined white sugar. I try my best not to consume empty calories. Lots of Crystal Lite Pink lemonade and H2O. If I go out to eat, I simply eat healthy things and ask for a container for my "encore meal". I try my best not to fight the band, altho sometimes my hard-headed rebellious nature wins, but its rare. I try to go with the flow, be mindful of what I'm eating and why and things go pretty smoothly.

banded 1/29/07

Dr Ken Cleveland-CMMC-Jackson, MS

331/273/150

1.6cc/4cc

Do you feel like the fat girl/guy walking in a room?

~I"me usually the fattest person in most rooms i enter. Hence the overcompensation by being the wittiest, funniest one, teh life of the party. *gag*

Do you feel like people stare at you because you are a fattie?

~YES. Years ago, I was walking down teh street with friends and a car full of teenaged boys drove by adn one of them stuck his head out of the window and yelled " MOOOOOOOOO" I wanted to crawl in a hole and die.

Do you not fit in an airplane seat either?

~I fit in it but it AIN'T comfy! I DO ask for a seatbelt extension.

Do people turn their noses up at you too?

~I've gotten my share of disgusted stares from strangers.

It cost me $16,500 for my surgery in Jackson, MS. I also had to have an MRI of my chest, as they thought they saw 'something' on my CXR. Turned out to be nothing,but that cost me another $3,000(it cost $6,000, so they said, but since I had no insurance, they only charged me $3) the cost of surgery included any complications within 6 months and all fills for a year.

Banded 1/29/07

Dr Ken Cleveland-CMMC-Jackson, MS

331/273/150

1.8/4cc

I don't notice any bump where my port is located and can only feel it upon moderate palpation. I never give it a second thought. Should it ever become noticable, it's a small price to pay for the release from being morbidly obese.

Banded 1/29/07

Dr Ken Cleveland-CMMC-Jackson, MS

331/273/150

I forgot to mention,,,my nursing instructor(I graduated last year) asked me to come talk to her Nutrition class about my surgery and the diet modificatins. GAWDDDDDDDDD,,,talk about feeling awful,,I've not been a shining example of a person living a healthy lifestyle lately. Perhaps this little assignment was God's way of pushing me in the right direction. :-)

Hi Ya'll~~

I've had lots of emotionally stressful events this past month and I've been reverting back to old eating habits and self-destructive, negative thought priocesses. I had my 2nd fill a month ago,,and I cant tell any difference. I'm tight in the mornings,,that's about it. The ohter day,,I bought the Deluxe brekkie at McDonalds(egg, sausage, biscuit, hass brown, 3 pancakes)and ate almost half of it. Makes me sick to even think about the shame of doing that. Thru the grace of God, I've only gained one pound. I"ve been going to the gym almost everyday, using the machines, the pool,,steam room,,trying to at least be more active. I live alone, way out in the country,,no real friends, no job at the moment, all great excuses, eh? PFFTTTTTTTTTT Ohyeah,,and I turned 53 June 7th.

Today, I woke up and said this is enough!!!!!! My pity party has run its course and it's time to get my bum in gear!

I've lost 51 pounds since my banding Jan 29th, and I'm thankful for that, but I'm not going to let this situational depression ruin what I paid almost $20,000 for,,nor allow it to shove me back into the miserable existance I endured for so along. Thanks for being here,,each of you,,I appreciate you all. Ohyeah,,I'm going to a support group meeting tonight,,anything to get my head clear.

banded 1/29/07

Dr Ken Cleveland-CMMC-Jackson, MS

331/280/150

2 fills to date-total of 1.75ccs in a 4 cc band