I admire your ability to deal with everything that's being tossed your way. The 'hmmmm' sounds good if you need a break, but we need you to be healthy. I saw a colonoscopy twice on TV and both times the patients said it was much less invasive (OK, that's a stretch....it's invasive...but you're sedated) but it wasn't as bad as they expected and they were happy to have had it. You've been through a lot. Maybe a little breather is in order. Teaching hospitals are really good choices (well, most of them anyway). Hope you get some good news soon. - Ann

Oh you poor dear.. If your travels ever make your way up to Boston, we have some great teaching hospitals and OB-GYN's up here that I can hook you up with who aren't afraid of dealing with difficult cases. They consider them "challenges" and fodder for their future journal articles. See if you can ask one of your doctors for access to uptodate. It's a great resource for the latest medical research. I want a happy ending to your saga.

After getting just about every opening in my body (but one!) shoved into by a hose, tube or some other instrument of torture, it is concluded that I have some GYN disfunction that no doctor wants to handle and some level of Lap Band failure or at least the darn thing is tired of all my other crappy ills. The band looks good on film, but acts whacky in reality. My doctor mentioned taking it out again today and I just basically went "hmmm? .... gotta run to the daycare!" The harsh truth remains: I had weight loss surgery because some piece a crap of a gynecologist didn't have the balls (figuratively) to fix her mistakes so she said "all will be well if you have weight loss surgery". Four years later, I have an ailing weight loss surgery tool and *still* have critical GYN issues. When I'm not saying 'Hmmmmm?" I'm saying things that would never pass the profanity filter on OH. I was sold a sack of smelly stuff and it really didn't matter which weight loss surgery tool chosen -- I was being distracted from fixing crap that needed fixing. I'm no expert on weight loss surgery, but I do write about it quite a bit. Compared to what I knew when I made my original decision, I'm a Phi Beta Kappa. Life is full of decisions and turns and tools. Frances is going to start listening to facts, and people and give the doctors a break in solving my life's puzzles. It's not that I don't trust (all of) them, it's just that I've decided to become a student of my health and figure out where I went wrong in my trust of modern medicine. I think I will cancel that colonoscopy next -- cause when that puppy comes back unremarkable, I'll be ready to take some SOB out. You have given me loads to think about it has helped me tremendously as I take control of this ship. So, as long as I don't get dehydrated or even further anemic, I'll just be sitting back and saying "Hmmm?" for a little while. Thanks, ???Frances???

Hey stranger.... glad to see you are settling in.... in the big Miss..... don't let the old saying Mississippi is the fastest state in the US......at least you have the band...lol.... Sorry to hear about you DIL I will keep her in my prayers... Also congrats Grandma..... my best friend had her baby yest. also...3 wks early it weighed 6lb 1oz....(girl) don't know when she will be able to leave her blood pressure is higher todayy 167/98 so they are really having to moniter... she is in Memphis at the baptist east.... email me I lost all email addresses when My computer crashed.... HOpe things are going better.... I will call you the next time we go to Lloyd's fathers house he lives in Forest.... try to get a little rest..... ya right.... Laura

I actually did some lower body total gym work today. Of course I have been eating a lot of sf/ff pudding with s/f coolwhip. When I was on the way to the grocery store after I saw my spine xrays I considered buying a half gallon of cherry cordial ice cream, nuts and choc syrup and/or a bottle of vodka, but I settled for the pudding and some WW giant fudgesicles. And I feel virtuous. I've had the back pain for nearly three years now and it isn't much worse. In fact it IS better since I have gotten rid of nearly 50 lbs. So I have to figure it WILL get better when I lose another 50 in spite of the rather jaded Neurosurgeon. (who quit doing "head" surgery because he got called all night... etc. TOO MUCH trouble for him I guess.