Jim1967

Not so sure I would be here today if it wasn't for WLS. 488lbs on a 5'6 frame was pretty rough. My calf muscles got so sore I could only do 10 minutes at a time on my feet. Even with the elevator I had a rough time getting to my office on a daily basis. My overall state of mind was in a pretty bad place as well and if it weren't for my wife I am not sure I would of made it. I did however and luck out that I didn't get high blood pressure or diabetes and such. I had severe sleep apnea but overall pretty healthy for such a large man. I know for a fact I lucked out and I truly believe I was walking the line.... As for today...my work day is now over and I am heading out for a ride on the kayak! Cheers...

They may have been showing you an older model band in Class. First generation of the band only held 4cc. Here is a pretty good chart that show the differences between the Allergan and Realize band. Allergan seems to be the most popular but there are plenty like me on here with the 11cc Realize. http://www.wlshelp.com/lap-band-vs-realize-band.html

Fun topic and I hope you don't mind a Vet chiming in. I have become and avid kayak-er since losing weight and my next venture is inside skydiving....and maybe just maybe some day an actual plunge from a Plane. If President Bush can do it at 90 than why not me? http://www.skyventurenh.com/skyventure_nh.php My long term reward for goal that I set back in 2011 was a week at Disney World. That is now booked for December 6th through 13th of this year. Goals and rewards are excellent motivators and you know what else? We're all worth it!!

I lost 38lbs. Doctor had asked me to lose 24lbs but since I had to do a 6 months supervised diet because of insurance I just kept doing what I could until surgery day.

I bought this one about 10 years ago and still going strong. Has 5 memory slots for multiple use. http://www.amazon.com/Tanita-HD351-Digital-Memory-Function/dp/B0000U6F2M/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1403523656&sr=8-9&keywords=tanita+scale

My original goal was 220 and once I hit it I changed it to 185. I am almost there but even at 185 my BMI says I am still quite the fatty but that's OK. I feel pretty good!

Statistics suck no matter how you cut it. Short of a botched surgery or band (for those banded) defect everything is individually based on the person. I actually ignored statistics when I started the process because not one of those people taking part in the research was ME.....

Sounds like you're doing your homework which is fantastic. I went through that period while preop of reading too much especially the negative stuff. It is good to be aware of possible complications and 'what ifs' but don't let it fester or deter you. My only advice (in which you didn't ask for ) is to be patient. You will have moments of frustration, even perhaps the feeling of failure but one thing you need to do is keep your eye on the goal and keep moving forward. If you stumble that is OK but just keep going. Best Wishes!!

@@chasingadream I remember the conversation like it was yesterday and I hope what he saw and read gives him at least the motivation to look at options. All it takes is 1 hour at a seminar and you will be in a room with people who face similar challenges and before you know it you'll have that realization that you're not alone and that there is hope. I know it's not easy heck I spoke about WLS with my Wife for a good year before attending a seminar. Sometimes that first tiny step can lead to the path of a new future. For me WLS was quite simple. I was either going to make it work or I was going to die a young man. This may sound dramatic to some but for a 5'6 guy heading quickly toward 500lbs running out of breath walking down a set of stairs it sure didn't feel that far off to me especially at 44 years old with a family history of heart disease. All you need is the want power. More importantly there are people there to help you along the way. I was so worried about people judging me for being so big and letting my weight get so out of control. Funny thing I was the worst judge of all. In all of my experience not once through this entire process did I once feel like someone was judging me. I remember so well that very low place I was at in the beginning. I felt incredibly hopeless, helpless and the feeling that no one cared (except my wife) but really it was all me and the place I was mentally. Some people have WLS and want to move on and act like it never happened. Not me. I want to remember it all. Good, bad and ugly. Getting to where I am now was not easy however getting to where I was originally was pretty darn easy. thank you all for the kuddos, support and friendship. Jim

Patience.....change takes time and not just physically but also mentally. Fall down 4 times then get up 5 times and keep going.

I have 9.6 in an 11cc band. I have been in the sweet spot for quite a long time but I did have a lot of false positives along the way. I thought I had just the right restriction after a fill only for it to disappear a week later. Took me about 6 months to find the right spot.

Disney World is already booked for the first week of December! I set that as my reward two years ago and I am excited to go.

I have a ton of loose skin but it sure beats the alternative. I am just now getting around in investigating options but it will really depend on whether or not my insurance will cover any of it. I am willing to bet I would easily be down another 10lbs if I were to shed this loose skin.

Congrats!! I find NSV's more rewarding than a number on the scale.

Hi there and congratulations on your upcoming surgery.. I think it really depends on your company policies as to what action you take. My company only offers 5 sick days per year and anything beyond that needed is to be short term disability or vacation. What do you do for work? I sit at a desk all day and bang away on a keyboard. I took a week long vacation but really I could have worked by day 3 post op from home. Physical pain was not bad at all but my energy level was really lacking so I just took the full week off and took my time. Good Luck!

Same here Bud!! I think most of us who need the fills go through that frustration of bandster hell but really slow and steady with the fills is the best way to go. Last thing you want is to be overly aggressive and end up being too tight so then they have to remove Fluid only to find you are toloose again. You chance of starting a see-saw effect and it could end up taking even longer to find that correct balance. It took me 7 months to get to the right spot and my Wife who had surgery 8 months ago is now just hitting her stride with "restriction". @@2muchfun here ya go... http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/141137-when-are-you-full-and-how-do-you-know/ Here's my 'bitch' session in the form of a blog entry. It is great to go back and see how far you've come. http://www.bariatricpal.com/blog/6505/entry-22718-expectations/

Congratulations Gowalking!! Such an amazing accomplishment.

Hi Terry, Glad to hear they caught it early and your on track for a great recovery. I have been getting mine checked yearly as well since my Uncle died from it many years ago. I started early (if there is such a thing) and had my first when I was 35. I make sure to stay on top of it since my Father had prostate and bladder cancer. He had to have his bladder taken about 3 years ago and top of it had lung cancer as well. He's a fighter indeed. Cancer has taken a lot of familiy far too soon. Great advice

Already been said but larger folks tend to lose quicker. That said I was 450 on surgery day and I am 192 today. My average is 10.32lbs per month but I can remember when that average was up around 13 so it definitely dropped as I lost. I would like to offer a piece of advice to anyone new who reads this thread. ***DO NOT compare your weight loss with someone else*** I promise you it will lead to nothing more than frustration. Every persons journey is unique.

CarolinaGirl you talk some serious truths.....common sense is huge. Don't let lack of common sense convince you your band doesn't work. On a side note,,, My Father asked me last week if I need an intervention. LOL. "You need to stop losing weight soon". I said that is all nonsense. Plenty more can be lost loose skin aside. I am 5 foot nothing 192 pounds. Not even in the normal BMI range. Slow down comments are coming fast and furious from various people. I know they're just concerned but it is completely unnecessary and borderline annoying.

Congratulations! Fantastic progress.

ith your weight loss you've clearly gained a lot of self confidence and you're carrying yourself differntly overall. Physcial change and a change in attitude it is not suprising some wouldn't recoginize you. As someone who has also lost a large amount of weight I am still going through the identity crisis at times. At times I look in the mirror and all I see is the 500lb man. I also notice the behaviors of others around me. I notice even the smallest of things such as going into a coffee shop to have the person behind the counter engage me in conversation rather than just giving me my coffee without the slightest amount of eye contact. Lets face it fat people make other people uncomfortable either because they're afraid of making you uncomfortable or they're just plain ignorant and are passing judgement. But again maybe it's not them and maybe it's me. I go in with my head held high and I make eye contact where as before I would look down and avoid eye contact. I don't think people are purposely acting a certain way to me but yet reacting to the way I present myself. I certainly do think that this journey is not all about physical changes. There are a lot of mental adjustments that come with it. Two questions for you... Aside from being unrecognizable at times are you happy? Are you healthy? OK three... What does your Therapist think? If you answer yes to both then I would say you're in a pretty good place. For me I was embarrassed when I was 488lbs but now I get embarrassed to tell someone how much weight I actually lost. I actually lied to my Barber a while back. He had asked me how much I had lost and I told him 120ish when in fact it was 250! I have grown tired of the weight loss questions. As for off the cuff remarks I have heard them all with my favorite being "Oh you're face is soooo skinny"

Success can be gauged and measured in many different ways. I guess the real question is what would you personally call success? For me it is finally being husband my wife deserves. It is about being able to take that long walk on the beach without having to sit down every 10 minutes because my legs were killing me. I put a lot on her over the years because of my poor physical health and I am doing my best to make up for lost time. Being able to finally ditch a CPAP machine that I wore nightly for 4 years. Going from a size 62 to 34 waist. Being able to participate in 5K cancer walk and walk it effortlessly. List could go on and on as to what success means to me but in the end it means...health and happiness!!