Batwingsman’s Posts

Batwingsman
on 5/1/11 7:05 am
Topic: RE: Lubbock Area DSers: 1236 lbs lost to date! (photo)
 If you mean "recruiter" as in military, no  --  WLS is an automatic disqualification, in that it requires special dietary and supplement needs ..  It's one situation where you really "can't beat City Hall", unfortunately .. 

Frank talk about the DS / "All I ever wanted to be was thin, like that Rolling Stones dude ... "

HW/461 LW/251 GW/189 CW/274 (yep, a DS semi-failure - it happens :-( )

Batwingsman
on 5/1/11 7:00 am
Topic: RE: Lubbock Area DSers: 1236 lbs lost to date! (photo)
 Which surgeons did the other 3 folks have?  

Frank talk about the DS / "All I ever wanted to be was thin, like that Rolling Stones dude ... "

HW/461 LW/251 GW/189 CW/274 (yep, a DS semi-failure - it happens :-( )

Batwingsman
on 5/1/11 6:46 am, edited 5/1/11 6:55 am
Topic: RE: So much pain still.. lost faith in ER's, DRs and my surgeon
There is an exception for mental health records (in some instances), otherwise a patient always has a right to obtain a copy of their medical records.   They may have to pay for them, but they get them (here in TX, the max. amount that can be charged is set by law).   Another medical provider of the same patient is entitled to have them faxed or emailed to him/her at no cost, so long as the patient authorizes it. 

  Your surgeon therefore cannot refuse to provide copies of your records to your family doctor, to an ER, or any other treating provider if you authorize them to obtain them.

   btw, the H.I.P.A.A. itself does not require that any provider provide copies of records to a patient, but rather prohibits a provider from providing ("disclosing") the records to anyone without proper written authorization from the patient to do so.  A violation of the Act makes the provider subject to discipline by the state's authorities, if they choose to do so.       

Frank talk about the DS / "All I ever wanted to be was thin, like that Rolling Stones dude ... "

HW/461 LW/251 GW/189 CW/274 (yep, a DS semi-failure - it happens :-( )

Batwingsman
on 4/10/11 6:51 am
Topic: RE: OT - Finally got a professional job & moving to MO!
 If you're moving to the SW MO area, that region of the Midwest is sorta the "DS desert" of the U.S., unfortunately ..  Very few DSers in that area (and still no vetted DS surgeons in those 3 states, IIRC) ..    Heck, Springfield (Drury grad here, btw) only got their first RNY surgeon just 2-3 years ago, according to my friends back there .. 

  But, who knows ..  maybe you will be the first DSer to get the ball rolling for a support group in your area ..  Good luck!   

Frank talk about the DS / "All I ever wanted to be was thin, like that Rolling Stones dude ... "

HW/461 LW/251 GW/189 CW/274 (yep, a DS semi-failure - it happens :-( )

Batwingsman
on 1/21/11 1:30 pm
Topic: RE: My consultation with Dr. Stewart
 I'm curious as to the # of DSes he has performed to date ..  Did he mention any figures (lap and open(?  

Frank talk about the DS / "All I ever wanted to be was thin, like that Rolling Stones dude ... "

HW/461 LW/251 GW/189 CW/274 (yep, a DS semi-failure - it happens :-( )

Batwingsman
on 1/2/11 4:17 pm
Topic: RE: Gas - gas gas gas gas *bbbbllloooooottt* oops
  LOL ..   I remember buying one of those charcoal seat cushions that some chiro invented and was selling on his website .  I think I paid like $60 for it ..  And it did NOT work ..  the fart "bubble" just works its way right around it to the edges and on out ..  ugh!  

Frank talk about the DS / "All I ever wanted to be was thin, like that Rolling Stones dude ... "

HW/461 LW/251 GW/189 CW/274 (yep, a DS semi-failure - it happens :-( )

Batwingsman
on 1/2/11 4:13 pm
Topic: RE: was anyone diabetic before having the DS???
 Yep, it's a miracle for Type II patients ..  The F.D.A. is now examining the "switch" part as a stand-alone procedure to cure Type IIs regardless of body weight (it is already being used for that purpose outside the U.S., as someone else here already mentioned) .  

 Before surgery, I was taking over a gram of Metformin (Glucophage XR) a day, plus a Glipizide pill, plus two daily injections of Humalog insulin (about 200 units or so, total) ..  Within a month or so after surgery, the need for all of that disappeared .. My A1Cs have consistently been right @ 5.0 or less .. Even with a 60 lb. regain and eating more of the high-carb foods than ever, my last A1C test was 4.5, the lowest reading since my surgery and, IIRC, as low as the scale apparently goes ..  Unlike RNYers, we apparently maintain this benefit from our WLS even with regain, due to the "re-arrangment" of our intestinal "plumbing"  .. 

Frank talk about the DS / "All I ever wanted to be was thin, like that Rolling Stones dude ... "

HW/461 LW/251 GW/189 CW/274 (yep, a DS semi-failure - it happens :-( )

Batwingsman
on 1/2/11 4:03 pm
Topic: RE: Labwork Spreadsheet
I still have mine that I "inherited " from my DS      It now has over 90 types of tests on it, with the normal ranges shown for each (for a 45 y.o. white M) ..  I can send to anyone interested (it's in Excel format, btw) ..  

 The only downside is that you would have to remove my old results from the chart (not sure of an easy way to do that, if there is one  

Frank talk about the DS / "All I ever wanted to be was thin, like that Rolling Stones dude ... "

HW/461 LW/251 GW/189 CW/274 (yep, a DS semi-failure - it happens :-( )

Batwingsman
on 1/2/11 3:28 pm
Topic: RE: I come to OH for....
Just a thought ..  could your endoc. put you on an insulin pump temporarily?   They automatically monitor your glucose levels and dispense additional insulin as needed to keep things as even as possible ..     You would probably only need it for a few months (if you surgery has to be postponed that long, even)  ..  After surgery, you can say adios to it (and ALL diabetes meds!!   

Frank talk about the DS / "All I ever wanted to be was thin, like that Rolling Stones dude ... "

HW/461 LW/251 GW/189 CW/274 (yep, a DS semi-failure - it happens :-( )

Batwingsman
on 1/2/11 9:14 am
Topic: RE: Asafoetida For Gas/Smells? Hmmmm ...
I was going to see if any of my local health foods stores carry it as a supplement  ..  If not, there is a store here that sells stuff for Indian cooking, which might have it as a spice ..  Other than that, I'll try Amazon.com, since they seem to carry just about everything anymore!   

Frank talk about the DS / "All I ever wanted to be was thin, like that Rolling Stones dude ... "

HW/461 LW/251 GW/189 CW/274 (yep, a DS semi-failure - it happens :-( )

Batwingsman
on 1/2/11 8:53 am, edited 1/2/11 9:16 am
Topic: RE: Asafoetida For Gas/Smells? Hmmmm ...
I first heard of this substance while watching the old John Wayne Western, El Dorado.   If you have seen the movie, there is a scene where they are trying to sober up the old drunk sheriff (played by Robert Mitchum) ..  They come up with this odd concoction and make him drink it, and the herb is mentioned as one of the ingredients.   

 I was curious as to what asafoetida actually is, comes from, and is used for.  I was surpirsed to find the following info. on the substance in Widipedia (its a plant herb, and not a chemical compound, as I first thought):   

  * * * * * *

This spice is used as a digestive aid, in food as a condiment and in pickles. Its odour, when uncooked, is so strong that it must be stored in airtight containers; otherwise the aroma will contaminate other spices stored nearby. However, its odour and flavor become much milder and more pleasant upon heating in oil or ghee, acquiring a taste and aroma reminiscent of sautéed onion and garlic.[2]

[edit] Antiflatulent

Asafoetida reduces the growth of indigenous microflora in the gut, reducing flatulence.[3]

[edit] Medical applications

  • fighting flu - Asafoetida was used in 1918 to fight the Spanish influenza pandemic. Scientists at the Kaohsiung Medical University in Taiwan report that the roots of Asafoetida produces natural antiviral drug compounds that kill the swine flu virus, H1N1. In an article published in the American Chemical Society's Journal of Natural Products, the researchers said the compounds "may serve as promising lead components for new drug development" against this type of flu.[4][5]
  • asthma and bronchitis - It is also said (See this Link) to be helpful in cases of asthma and bronchitis. A folk tradition remedy for children's colds: it is mixed into a pungent-smelling paste and hung in a bag around the afflicted child's neck.
  • antimicrobial - Asafoetida has broad uses in traditional medicine as an antimicrobial, with well documented uses for treating chronic bronchitis and whooping cough, as well as reducing flatulence.[7]
  • antiepileptic - Asafoetida oleo-gum-resin has been reported to be antiepileptic in classical Unani as well as ethnobotanical literature.[9]
  • balancing the vata - In Ayurveda, asafoetida is considered to be one of the best spices for balancing the vata dosha.[10]

[edit] Regional usages

  • In the Jammu region of India, asafoetida is used as a medicine for flatulence and constipation by 60% of locals.[11] It is used especially by the merchant caste of the Hindus and by adherents of Jainism and Vaishnavism, who do not eat onions or garlic. It is used in many vegetarian and lentil dishes to add both flavor and aroma, as well as to reduce flatulence. 
     
  • * * * * * *
    Note that one of the main uses of asafoetida is as an anti-flatulent (despite its strong sulphurous odor - sometimes called "Devil's Dung" for another name!) and that it has antibacterial properties in the gut .. The cited medical reference reports that this works by killing off the clostridia intestinal - i.e. "bad" - bacteria ..   

    In effect, it sounds like asofoetida COULD be an all-natural substitue for Flagel, for purposes of our gas and odors.   

   Has anyone used this herb before?   

   I am going to try some, and report back how it works ..

Frank talk about the DS / "All I ever wanted to be was thin, like that Rolling Stones dude ... "

HW/461 LW/251 GW/189 CW/274 (yep, a DS semi-failure - it happens :-( )

Batwingsman
on 12/26/10 7:33 am
Topic: RE: PCP says Cymbalta, but it's extended release
 I was put on Cymbalta post-op and it worked just fine for me (a life-saver, actually) ..  I don't know if it was ER version though, but if they don't make a non-ER version, it must have been .
 
  Some time ago I switched to what my doc said was a generic "equivalent", Celexa, to save a few $s  ..  and it works just as well .. (I know some say they are NOT the same drug in their actions, technically, but I sure can't tell any difference in their effects!)   

  Good luck!

Frank talk about the DS / "All I ever wanted to be was thin, like that Rolling Stones dude ... "

HW/461 LW/251 GW/189 CW/274 (yep, a DS semi-failure - it happens :-( )

Batwingsman
on 12/1/10 8:30 am
Topic: RE: "The 'Shart' Song"
 Here's one some of us can relate to  -- from a hilarious new video making the rounds of late on the Internet  (sing along, if you've been there, done that  ):

http://mediafetcher.com/article_full.php?id=114987 

Frank talk about the DS / "All I ever wanted to be was thin, like that Rolling Stones dude ... "

HW/461 LW/251 GW/189 CW/274 (yep, a DS semi-failure - it happens :-( )

Batwingsman
on 10/26/10 8:40 am
Topic: RE: Dexa Scan questions
 Errrr ..  you'd have to ask my DS   - Ginger - about that, ...   

  Since having to drop my health insurance coverage ("high risk pool") sometime back out of "economic necessity", I have even had to put my doc visits and blood tests on the backburner of late ..      (as I tell people frequently about the DS - do as I say, not as I  actually do  )


  Hopefully Obamacare will change all that, though ..  and Americas will, in general, get healthy once again, at long last ..  Yeahhh!   



 

Frank talk about the DS / "All I ever wanted to be was thin, like that Rolling Stones dude ... "

HW/461 LW/251 GW/189 CW/274 (yep, a DS semi-failure - it happens :-( )

Batwingsman
on 10/26/10 2:51 am
Topic: RE: How much can you eat now?
 Way too much ...  

   And be careful Kerry ..  @ two years out is when I noticed my intake slowly starting to increase .. 

Frank talk about the DS / "All I ever wanted to be was thin, like that Rolling Stones dude ... "

HW/461 LW/251 GW/189 CW/274 (yep, a DS semi-failure - it happens :-( )

Batwingsman
on 10/26/10 2:46 am
Topic: RE: What brand of scale did everyone find to be the most accurate?
If you need high weight capacity and don't mind the price (over $100), the Siltec scale is GREAT ..   It weighs up to 500 lbs. (.5 lb. increments), is very accurate, has a remote corded LED reader (no bending over to try to see the scale) and features a low, wide metal platform.  It was originally designed to weigh packages, but has become a bariatric favorite ..   They also have another model that weighs up to 1,000 lbs., for a few $$s more ..   

Frank talk about the DS / "All I ever wanted to be was thin, like that Rolling Stones dude ... "

HW/461 LW/251 GW/189 CW/274 (yep, a DS semi-failure - it happens :-( )

Batwingsman
on 10/26/10 2:42 am
Topic: RE: rants & raves
 Oh great ..    ..   Why couldn't they just let it die, and expect adults to act like adults (and moderators to MODERATE, when needed?)?    

Frank talk about the DS / "All I ever wanted to be was thin, like that Rolling Stones dude ... "

HW/461 LW/251 GW/189 CW/274 (yep, a DS semi-failure - it happens :-( )

Batwingsman
on 10/26/10 2:39 am
Topic: RE: rants & raves
 Don't know, but SO glad ...  GONE, GONE, GONE AT LAST!   

Frank talk about the DS / "All I ever wanted to be was thin, like that Rolling Stones dude ... "

HW/461 LW/251 GW/189 CW/274 (yep, a DS semi-failure - it happens :-( )

Batwingsman
on 10/26/10 2:33 am, edited 10/26/10 8:41 am
Topic: RE: Dexa Scan questions
I've been told that, following the DS, an annual one is a good idea, since we don't know how much bone we are losing and, if any, the sooner we know about it the better, in order to adjust supps. 

Frank talk about the DS / "All I ever wanted to be was thin, like that Rolling Stones dude ... "

HW/461 LW/251 GW/189 CW/274 (yep, a DS semi-failure - it happens :-( )

Batwingsman
on 10/26/10 2:29 am
Topic: RE: Dr. Tersigni or other DS surgeon?
 Never saw him before on here, and he's not on DSfact or the DSinfozone lists of "approved" surgeons.   Dr. Deveney is in Portland and is on the DSinfo list, but I think he either stopped practicing, doing the DS, or moved, some time back .. 

Frank talk about the DS / "All I ever wanted to be was thin, like that Rolling Stones dude ... "

HW/461 LW/251 GW/189 CW/274 (yep, a DS semi-failure - it happens :-( )

Batwingsman
on 10/26/10 2:24 am
Topic: RE: 3 New DS Videos By Dr. Antelmo

  My surgeon recently took part in two interviews on local T.V. there in Brazil about the DS.   Here is a link to one of them, on U-Tube:
   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_EzD1ocFro    Once it finishes playing, it should show links to the other interview Dr. A. did for the same show ..  and to a third one on U-Tube which is a video of the scope view during a lap DS he performed  ..      The interviews are in Portuguese w/o subtitles, btw ..  Looks like he has 3 successful post-ops with him in one of the interviews, though, and their smiles (and normal body weight) say it all ..   

Frank talk about the DS / "All I ever wanted to be was thin, like that Rolling Stones dude ... "

HW/461 LW/251 GW/189 CW/274 (yep, a DS semi-failure - it happens :-( )

Batwingsman
on 10/6/10 11:35 am
Topic: RE: Pre-albumen not needing to be checked if albumen is checked?
Pre-albumin measures your body's storage level of protein.   If your albumin levels have been acceptable ever since your surgery, there should be no shortfall in your storage (unless you were low before surgery for some reason).  

  btw, it seems like some surgeons are beginning to no longer order some of the tests that were "standard" earlier-on for DSers.  One example is the PacLap list of annual tests which was recently updated by Dr. Rabkin and Dr. "K."   It no longer includes copper and one or two other checks that had been required before.   Per Dr. R.'s nurse, the docs felt like those omitted tests are no longer necessary in that their patients have generally not shown deficiencies in those areas. 

Frank talk about the DS / "All I ever wanted to be was thin, like that Rolling Stones dude ... "

HW/461 LW/251 GW/189 CW/274 (yep, a DS semi-failure - it happens :-( )

Batwingsman
on 10/6/10 11:22 am
Topic: RE: Full Article Link - Risk of Suicide after Long-term Follow-up from Bariatric Surgery
 I've posted many times in the past that I think OH should add a program at all their major events on post-op depression, by a qualified expert speaker, b/c it is so important, commonplace and obviously lives can be at stake.    To date, I think I have only seen this arranged at one or two of the events, though ..       I guess that dark part of WLS is just considered not good "p.r." for the industry ..

Frank talk about the DS / "All I ever wanted to be was thin, like that Rolling Stones dude ... "

HW/461 LW/251 GW/189 CW/274 (yep, a DS semi-failure - it happens :-( )

Batwingsman
on 10/6/10 11:18 am
Topic: RE: Full Article Link - Risk of Suicide after Long-term Follow-up from Bariatric Surgery
 Good article and good points, DoubleL.  

  Keep in mind too that any kind of WLS (or even non-WLS major, rapid weight loss) can cause major hormonal imbalances during the honeymoon period which can greatly increase the risk of depression during that time - i.e. "Post-Op Blues".  

Frank talk about the DS / "All I ever wanted to be was thin, like that Rolling Stones dude ... "

HW/461 LW/251 GW/189 CW/274 (yep, a DS semi-failure - it happens :-( )

Batwingsman
on 10/6/10 11:03 am, edited 10/6/10 11:05 am
Topic: RE: MONEY ?
Depends on the surgeon, the location and the type (open vs. closed).  Open is less expensive, as is non-U.S. generally.  My surgeon in Brazil is currently doing closed DS for about $11,500.00 U.S.  

 Here in the U.S., there are surgeons that will do it as low as under $20K open, or a bit more for closed, such as Dr. Daryl Stewart in Denton, Texas.  

  Keep in mind that a "two-step" DS will cost you approximately 2x as much as the single-procedure version in the long run, since you will need two different surgeries. 

Frank talk about the DS / "All I ever wanted to be was thin, like that Rolling Stones dude ... "

HW/461 LW/251 GW/189 CW/274 (yep, a DS semi-failure - it happens :-( )

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