Dr. John Bagnato - Bagnato Bandits

[georgia girl 35]

Mia

I love your new avatar!! You look beautiful!!

[Brinabrina77 24]

Hello Everyone:

I hope that everyone is progressing nicely along their Lapband journey.

To Everyone (espeially Hollybelles and Bamboobabe): I am by no means a professional writer. I am just a common weirdo who has learned that laughter is in fact the best medicine for me. I have gone through some insane things in my life, some dealing with my weight/weight loss struggle other not. In the end, laughing kept me sane. Then I look at some of the stuff that we..the plus size society..put ourselved through to lose weight. Even funnier is what some have suggested that *I* put myself through to lose weight. I have no choice but to laugh. I was reading some column a while ago in which some lady sat there every day and meticulously weighed her food. She then put it into individual baggies so that she could have her sevings and calories pre-counted. She actually seriously suggested that I do that to lose weight. That just broke me into hysterics. Sugah, puh-lease, the only thing I would lose by doing that would be time and patience. I come from a very "economically challenged" (it is not PC to call people poor anymore. although we were poor as discount dirt) background that was infested with drugs. I had this picture of her being some kinda big girl drug dealer. The dealers in our neighborhood would all buy scales, weigh out the drugs, and then sell them according to weight (grams, ounces, etc). Just as sure as I am sitting here, I could see this shady lady on a corner hustling out food to big poeople. They's probably call her "Dough Girl" or something. She would stand on the corner trying to look inconspicuous, a car would drive up to her and crack a window, and she would ask them what they needed. I could see her peddling food to customers by the ounce, fat content, and sugar content. Please tell me that no one here actually weighed out your food. Note: Please realize that answering yes to that question gives me a reason to talk about you. And ya'll know that I have no home training when it comes to talking about folks.

If my weirdness will help people laugh through their journey, I would be happy to contribute. I am extremely flattered that you all think that I would be worthy to contribute and reprsent the Bagnato Bandits.

:: throws up a "B" sign with both hands and yells "B siiide"::

I am not a professional writer by any means. I am just a three legged chair in a world of much more stable furniture.

jbrad: You think you saw me in Walmart? Girl, you should have been brave and spoken. It probably was me. I *live* in the Walmart on Ledo Rd. Even if you had mistaken some other big girl for me no harm would have been done. If you were wrong, and you accidentally offend some stranger, just tell them good evening and haul booty. You've lost 64 lbs. The woman you mistook for me had to be around 300lbs. You really think she would sprint after you? If anything you would just hear a barrage of cussing at your back while you sprinted away like the streamlined gazelle that you are. Seriously, if anyone thinks that they see me please say hello. You can even give me a big ol' hug. However, it may look strange. As big as my mouth is, I am only 5'2". This means that stop at most peoples' kneecaps. So those the ladies who have ample sized girls, please be aware that I am asthmatic and I smother easily.

Edited April 13, 2008 by Brinabrina77

[mia31771 0]

Mia

I love your new avatar!! You look beautiful!!

Thanks! I cannot wait for the big day!

[georgia girl 35]

Brina

Don't worry, I don't weigh my food BUT I do occasionally put my leftovers (mostly Soups and chili) in individual tiny containers and freeze them so I can just grab one when needed. It's very convenient.

I don't weight my food because 1.) I don't have a food scale. 2.) It would take up too much time. 3.) I just don't want to.

Thanks for the food peddling idea! I'm trying to save up for plastic surgery and I could probably make a killing peddling food. I'll be in touch with ya'll, okay! :biggrin:

[Guest Leslie2Lose]

Okay...so I've been doing pretty good, except at night. I am a side sleeper and keep making the mistake of rolling over on to my left side. Whoa will that wake you up and send pain shooting through your port/shoulder. Please tell me that will get better with time. It just woke me up again and I decided a little pain killer would be nice.

[mia31771 0]

The port site was the most tender to me as well, but in two weeks time I had no pain at all so hang in there and take your drugs if you feel like you need to. The first time around I was religious about taking my pain meds the first four days and I honestly did not hurt nearly as bad as when I had my port revision surgery and decided to 'go it alone'. They give you the meds for a reason so use them if you feel you need to. Soon you will be in a lot less pain just hang in there!

[allykat 1]

I think it is really interesting how some people have more pain than others and our reactions are so different. I was really sore in my back/shoulder area, but the heating pad helped significantly. I only really have 1 or 2 uncomfortable nights and took pain meds maybe 3x. On the other hand, the liquid diet whipped my butt and sent me sprawling. I just think that is cool how we all react so different.

Leslie, hang in there and definitely take the meds if you need them. I'd say you'll feel better within a week's time.

[bamboobabe 0]

Leslie;

Yes, it does get better. I too am a side/face sleeper and I used a lot of pillows. It also helped me a lot to sleep in a soft-cup bra the first week. I actually got that tip from my surgical nurse. Use the pain meds if necessary, I only used them about 3x's like Allykat.

Hope you find that right position soon. Take care.

[jbrad71629 2]

Leslie

You are right about the port, but it is much better after the first week or two. Call me when you feel better we'll do luch or atleast have a glass of tea :rolleyes2:

Brina

I am positive that was you, but all i could invisio was it not being and some woman whacking me with a bag of frozwen veggies when i started talking about lapband surgery and was mistaken. :smile2:

I live less than mile from Wlamart and am in there all the time, i am going to keep an eye out for you.

Everyone,

We really need to try to get a support group together again, there are too many people on here that keep us laughing for us all not to have a meeting and put the faces and names together. I have met several of yall in person and have yet to find anyone that is not just adorable to have a conversation with. Think about when would be convenient and lets start tkicking the idea around again.

Take care

[Brinabrina77 24]

Leslie: I sleep like I fell outta a tree and stayed where I landed. There is no method to the way i sleep. Sometines it is on my back, other times on my side. But when I got banded...girl.. i could tell when I slept on my left side. It felt like an army of rabid wolves had attempted to gnaw my arm off when I was lseeping. UGH. I also got that uncomfortable "stuck bubble/burp" feeling in my back for the first week or so. No matter what I did, I was uncofmprtable sitting up. I was not painful..just uncomfortable. Then for some reason, about about post op day three I got pains around my belly button. So it was this ritual for me to scoot and squirm and pretty much gator roll myself out of bed without pushing myself upright using my left shoulder/arm. Day three was the day i discovered that there was an incision right in my belly button. Eureka! That is why there was a tight "tug" in my abdomen whenever I sat up.

The heating pad was my bestest, bestest, friend in the whole entire cosmos. Gas X did not do much. However, walking around did wonders. I was not painful..just fidgety..so I only had to take the pain meds like 3 times also. The funny thing is that around week three I ended up using the largest portion of my pain meds. My shoulder bugged the crap outta me around thsi time. No screaming pain, but enough pain that the pain meds and the pain med induced nap made everything cakes and pies later.

I am now a little over six weeks out and I am back to my normal "fell outta a tree" position. My scar is still a little sore..I think it is forming scar tissue and all that good stuff. The port itself does not hurt...jsut the scar.

Oh yeah. My girls decided that they would play tug-o-war with my port during th first week or two on occasion. I ended up sleeping in a sports bra at night. It was more comfortable than I thought and my gilrs learned to behave themselves.

Jbrad: Heck to the yeah!!! I am all for the support group. I would *love* to meet everyone here. Ya'll are all just too fantastic. Again, if anyoen sees me out in public do not be afraid to say hello...no matter how mean I look at the time. (When I am not smiling, i do *not* have an approachable face).

[jbrad71629 2]

Anybody else hate the new layout for the "home" page here? I signed on tonight and could not find anything. Why can't they just leave well enough alone.

[georgia girl 35]

Anybody else hate the new layout for the "home" page here? I signed on tonight and could not find anything. Why can't they just leave well enough alone.

I hate it too! I just ended up clicking on the LapBandTalk.com logo (right beside Boo Boo Kitty) and it took me back to the original sign on screen. I'm all for change, but not when something doesn't need fixing.

[georgia girl 35]

Hello everyone!

I went back to the doctor today and my culture came back saying I have MRSA staph. It's not the news I wanted to hear. Honestly, it really scares me. The antibiotic that I had been taking since last Thursday is resistant to MRSA, so they put me on a different one that will hopefully take care of this infection.

Ya'll please don't think I'm being crazy or over dramatic, but this has really got me down. I am so worried that my son (2 yrs old) will catch this, and in children, MRSA can be fatal. I'm doing everything possible to keep from spreading it. There is no telling where I got this from. Places like the gym, Walmart (buggies especially) are places that are prone to carry this bacteria. It really wouldn't surprise me if it came from Walmart or the gym because I spend a lot of time there. So make sure you guys are washing your hands after touching a shopping cart or working out at the gym.

In the nose is where most people carry this bacteria, so something as minor as scratching your nose can make you get it. Many people "carry" MRSA and never know it until they get a cut or scrape that can easily become infected. I'm not trying to scare ya'll, but just be careful. This has caused me a lot of pain, I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

Apparently I have also pulled a muscle in my shoulder and neck area, so that's another thing that has me in pain. The doctor did prescribe me a muscle relaxer, but so far, I haven't been able to tell any difference.

I'm really not sure why this has gotten me so down, but I'm starting to feel depressed. Please continue to keep me in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you for all the thoughts and prayers you have already sent my way, it's much appreciated.

[mia31771 0]

Hang in there Pamela! I hope and pray that you will be past all of this very soon.

[Guest Leslie2Lose]

Pam,

I hope you get well soon. Hang in there - you're in my thoughts and prayers.