Holly Dolly

I'm in a really good place right now.....rewind to 10:16 pm tonight, 1-23-12, and I am driving home after a great support group meeting and an awesome dinner at Season's 52 with some of my lapband buddies.  I am jamming to one of my many favorite Rod Stewart songs that I had been replaying over and over all day long in the car.  I get a text from my 11 year old girl asking me, "Where are you?"  WIthout even hestitating and with a HUGE SMILE on my face, I think to myself, "Wow, I am in a really good place right now!".

Rewind again to the beginning of December 2010.  I am sitting on the couch tying my shoes, which wasn't easy to do,  and I am out of breath. Thinking back now, that was the awakening moment for me and knowing that I really had to take control and do something about my weight.  Sure, I had teetered with the idea for over a little over a year.  My brother had lapband surgery in October 2009 with Dr. Oliak and I witnessed first hand how well he did and how easy it was for him.  I also had driven by a minimum of 25 LapBand billboards on a few miles stretch of the 91 and 110 freeeway with people stating the same thing.  Listened to my then 9 year old sing along to "Let your new life begin call 1-800 Get Thin" everytime it was on the radio or TV.  Thank goodness I didn't go that route and I went to Dr. Oliak!

Well, it wasn't as easy as the billboards made it appear to be.  Sure, I consider myself a success.  I am down 80 pounds in under a year on my scale.Though I'll take the glory of the 83 pounds that my doctor's scale will show since my first weighin there was in the afternoon, after lunch and of course with my tennis shoes on!  I have had 7 fills, 1 slight unfill and then a tad bit more on September 22,2011. But for me, I still struggle with hunger.  I guess I shouldn't say struggle, more like deal with it. I still think I have yet to reach the green zone or my "sweet spot".  I do not go the expected 4 to 5 hours between feeling hungry.  I DO wait 4 to 5 hours between my meals because I try and keep my caloric intake to 1000 a day, but not to exceed 1300.  I have been on phentermine for over 2 months now, but ready for the band to control my hunger and not the pills.

I was put on phentermine because of my hunger and the amount that I have in my band. It was reassuring to hear Dr. Oliak say at tonight's meeting that it sounds like I do need another fill. I am looking forward to my one year anniversary and my appointment on Feb 7, 2012. My goal when I first went in to surgery was to lose 75 pounds, to weigh 160 by February 4, 2012.  I made it to the 150's a month before my year was up!  Last week I got to 154, this week back to 155.  My goal now is 140 pounds which is slightly under a BMI of 25. Thirteen months ago I could have never imagined being where I am at today.  I am so thankful that I made the decision to have this surgery.  I am forever grateful to Dr. Oliak, Alli and the rest of the office, my hubby, all the ladies I meet with inside and outside of support meetings for helping me achieve my weightloss goals.  I have to give a HUGE SHOUT OUT though to Julie! We met at our first preop meeting and together have worked through the ins and outs of this lapband journey and still continuing to do so!

As for now, PEACE OUT! Cheers to your weightloss journey and success as well.  I really am proud of all the stories I have read from people on lapbandtalk.com.  This forum is here to help support, motivate and network with others dealing with something only we know about, the lapband.  Make the best of it, you chose it, make it work to it's full potential.  Remember, this is your journey, not a competition.