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oh sweety, I am so so sorry you are going thru this. Try not to pay any attention to your loved ones who are saying the negative things. They are just misguided and they don't understand and probably never will understand. You are more now than ever a wonderful member of this forum. Now you have been there and done that, you can help tons of people. Turn this around and make it positive if you can. Go ahead and cry, and then dry it up and say ok this happened for a reason, and go on do what you are lead to do. Im sure it will be to help others..

Yesterday was exactly 3 months since my surgery. The whole process seems so surreal! I can't believe that I'm down 55lbs now. I haven't been this size in over 15 years! I went from a size 24W to a size 16 so far. The changes in how I feel are amazing and seem like a miracle. I feel great, and everyone tells me that I look amazing. My diet has seen some really big changes. I now eat primarily fresh foods, and very rarely eat processed foods. When I do eat out, I'm am extremely cautious on what I choose. Since I hold so much less, I would much rather put in good quality food, than a bunch of junk. Yes, we still eat out about twice a week, but we choose restaurants that have a better quality menu than fast food places do. Also, I drink water all day. I walk 3 miles 5 days a week, and have recently started a Beginner's Yoga CD and really enjoying it. The fact that I weigh less, helps me try things that I haven't tried in 15 years, and I'm thinking about trying bicycling. I really don't want to buy one - they can get pretty expensive - until I know it's worth the investment. Looking back, it seems like a dream. All the worry, all the liquids and protein drinks, all the preparation was so worth it. Even the post-op diet seems to have passed so quickly - although at the time it seemed to take forever. I thought about the sleeve 24/7, and now it's just a normal part of life, It's been the best decision I've ever made regarding my health, and I have no regrets. I read some of the posts of others who haven't made their decision yet, and all I want to do is shake them and tell them to just do it! However, everyone is different and just because it's been a great experience for me, doesn't mean it will be the right one for them. At first, I was very vague about how I was losing weight. When folks would ask me, I would just tell them that I'm eating a lot less. Now I'm much more vocal about the surgery. If someone asks, I tell them that I got the sleeve. So far, no one has been negative about it, and if they are, I'll just tell them to mind their own business. My immediate family has known about it from Day 1 and been extremely supportive. This forum has been a life saver for me. All the friendships, support, and feedback has been fantastic, and I wouldn't be healthier today if it wasn't for this website.

Ok, I was sleeved Wednesday June 20th. IF I could have found Marty and Doc on June the 21st, I would have figured out how to power the 1.21 jigawatts the flux capacitor needed and would have time traveled back 48 hours and RAN LIKE HELL (as much as a fat chick can) in my UGLY shoes AWAY from the hospital. As it was, I didn't find them and here I am................so very glad I couldn't. Back to Wednesday..... My surgery was scheduled for 12, so I was my usual self until the surgeon's office called saying I'd neglected to make my final payment arrangements........so we rushed out the door to pay the surgeon and on to the hospital. Hey, surgeons don't work for free. They got mouths to feed and I asked him to do this to me. I just forgot about final payments, that's all. It's all good. So, I get to the hospital, anticipating a 2 hour wait when I get the call from the OR nurse......as we are parking, saying they are ahead of schedule today and let's do this. I'm high on emotion.....I STRUT my 255 pound self into pre-op (dressed in jeans and leopard print top with marvelous brown/gold flip flops), complete with little twirlie at the end and say "I'm here, let's get this thing on!"........ 5 hours later....... I have a NEW, EXCITED, EXUBERANT nurse ( I am a RN 25 years in practice) in my face telling me I have to get up and walk - (and she's calling me dear and sweetie. Those who know me realize I am dear to only those who love me and I am never ever described as sweet). I'm trying to figure out where I am and this very excited, young, so-happy-to-be-here chickie won't get outta my face!!!! Then, the radiology transport person arrives telling me I've got to get up, into a wheelchair, go to radiology to have an contrast upper GI to be sure the sleeve isn't leaking. I finally figured out I was in a room.....a very small room with no sofa. I say "No" and youngster tells me "You HAVE to!!" I was saying no to this impossibly small room with no sofa.......not her fault......she couldn't read my drug deluded mind. So, Miss Energetic is in my face telling me to get up, the radiology transport looks confused and I say..........to Miss Thing......"You have got to STOP TALKING to me and get outta my way. HE'S here (indicating the hubby)" Once she got the point to shut up.........I was up.......in the chair.......to radiology.......swallowed 1 swallow of the contrast, got a good picture.........the ALL IS CLEAR.......and back to my room. The night shift nurse was awesome!! A grown up nurse. Thank GOD. I did get up.......all thru the night walking because this isn't my first rodeo. I've had a C-section and a total vaginal hysterectomy. The key to overcoming any surgery is walking.....soon and often. If you have to have pain medication to do it, fine ask for it and as soon as the pain is at a point you can stand and shuffle your feet.........get to shuffling........and shuffle I did - 4 times on night shift........humming to myself "every day I'm shufflin, shufflin" Later on in the shift, I asked if CUTIE PIE was back in the AM because I was requesting another nurse. The old wise one just chuckled and said......."I'd already figured that out and it is handled. You wont' have to work with her." I was so grateful!!!! So, the only other thing that stunk was.......I was unable to urinate post surgery. It happens sometimes. The body and mind wake up from the anesthesia and the bladder is still sleeping.......thankfully, I don't wet the bed in my sleep.......but this was to the extreme. So, my urethra became a 4 lane highway with all the frequent catheterizations to drain my sleepy, lazy bladder. Finally, about 48 hours post procedure, the bladder woke up and I got to come home!!!! What if my bladder had stayed on vacation? Well, the doctors's plan was I'd just learn to self-cath and head on home until it woke up. One doctor, a urologist friend of mine, laughingly said....."it's like putting a tampoon in, the first hole south of the pole." Well the last time I put a tampoon in, my guts had not just been re-configured!!!! I haven't had a hard time with nausea.....and I've figured out that painful, cramping twisting motion in my gut means I'm hungry and should eat. I've developed a love for chicken broth and apple sauce. I had yogurt this morning. I've also figured out, gotta eat very slow. 2 teaspoons, pain, means stop and come back in about 5 minutes. I'm mixing UnJury Protein in my Crystal Light to get the protein needs met and sipping, sipping......all the time. Today, 5 days out........I am happy I didn't go "Back In Time"......think I've spent enough time there as it is.

Why is so hard to drink the protein shakes? Please help me and if you are having the same problems help me start getting these in my system.

Today was a pretty good day. I made my turkey chili and it wasn't bad at all. I was pretty scared of it cuz...well....ground turkey sure isn't ground beef, but it turned out okay. Incredients: ground turkey, black beans, onion, minced garlic, tomato, chile powder, one of those chile seasoning mixes (I forget the brand), bell peppers, corn, salt, pepper, oregano, and hot sauce. It was pretty good! It was really heavy too, so I decided to get a little work out in after. Didn't feel like going to the gym so I just hopped on the kinect and played my Zumba Fitness demo and man oh man, do I really need to work on my merengue pump...lol! After, I decided to have a quick snack and grabbed a yogurt. Just for fun, I checked out the back of the label after the fact, and I had no idea how much sugar/carbs was in that little cup of yoplait (strawberry something or other). Needless to say, I'll be back to no snacking. We're all entitled to a little slip, so I'm not concerned. It's fight night - time to watch Ortiz v Lopez!

Lapband La La.. First of all, in your video you said you werent sure if yoiu belonged in the lapbandtalk community any more. Well I am here to tell you that you are still a part of this family. We are here to support each other through the good times and the bad. Be positive! I believe that the band is what you needed to get you started on the journey to living a healthy lifestyle. You successfully lost your weight and got to your goal and have been maintaining it. I believe that you have now learned how to live and what to eat and can continue to do this with or without the band. The band was just a tool to get it all started but now you have the knowledge to continue the success that you have enjoyed. Dont let the removal of the band psych you out. If you tell yourself that the weight will come back and resign yourself to that, that is what will happen. You can do this. Stay positive and just keep on going as if you still have it. It really wasnt the band that made you successful. It was your attitude and mindset. i know several people that got the band and didnt lose the weight. I also have friends that got it and did great and are living healthy lifestyles now. The difference was the attitude and the determination of those individuals. I know it was a blow to you, but I truly believe you can do this. Pull yourself up by the boot straps and get your mind right to take this on. If you need someone to talk to, we are here for you. I know how it is when you are talking to friends and family about the band. People just dont understand! But really I think that when people make the comments they are making to you, they are really trying to make you feel better about having it removed, but they just dont get it and dont know what to say. The next video you post on here, I want to see you smiling and happy because you have figured out that you can do this!! You have a strong healthy body now, so now just get that mind strong to match and you will be fine!! PS. Not only are you still welcome on this forum, but you are helping others. Your story has made me really think about my own situation. I have been being a little bad for the past couple of months and not following all the Band rules. Reading this makes me really think about what damage I could be causing myself and it truly inspires me to get my own mind back on track. If you were following the rules and this happened, I certainly could be at risk by not following the plan. Thank you so much for sharing with us all!! Hugs!! Hugs!! Hugs!!

Try light and fit yogurt...80cals, or yoplait light..100cals....both low carb

Got all my blood work done and the nurse says I'm doing AWESOME! Incredible weight loss, all my vitamins are good, protein levels are good, no deficiencies at all. In fact, my protein is so good that I can eliminate one of the protein shakes. Thank god for that. I'm actually getting sick of them. The only thing I need to work on is getting my good cholesterol up (it's a tad low). That prompted a discussion on good oils. I use olive oil for everything because it's supposed to be so healthy. She said NO! That's just marketing. I should be using canola oil. Color me surprised! So I'll make that switch and see if it helps bring my good cholesterol up. So in 3.5 months, I'm down 74 pounds and I've gone from a 26/28 to a 14/16...and I was able to do it without destroying my health. Holy crap! I never thought this would be possible. Best. Decision. EVER!

Grats on getting some clothes tossing done!! I hope to be doing that in the upcoming weeks as well. I'll have to check with my doctor to see if they take a video, it would be interesting, and probably a bit surreal, to see.