bunkie68

Donali, I like the way you think! I'm going to change my sig to show my 15-pound weight loss right now!

BTW, Eva, I know where Colfax is! I live in Texas now, but I'm originally from Bunkie - small world!!!

Oh, I'm just laughing my head off at this thread! It blows my mind how difficult it is to find attractive plus-size clothing that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Seems like everything is either way too trendy (read: something I wouldn't be caught dead in no matter *what* size I was) or looks like it was made out of someone's curtains circa 1972. :ermm And the cost is ridiculous!!! I'm short, too - loads of fun trying to find something for the woman who's plus-size yet "petite". I am SO looking forward to getting this weight off and actually being able to find clothes on SALE!!!! Oh, and I've already cut up my Lane Bryant card in anticipation of never using it again. Not like I ever find anything there I want to wear anyway. I'll never forget - a couple of Christmases ago, DH and I were in the mall and stopped by Lane Bryant just to see if I could find anything. Prominently displayed on the mannequin at the front of the store was a paisley halter top - back and arms completely bare - paired with some black bell bottom pants made out of some stretchy material and trimmed with rhinestones all the way down the outside of the legs! YIKES!!!! Now do they honestly think that the majority of plus-size women out there WANT halter tops and bell bottoms?! Countin' the days until I can shop in a section of the store not called "plus size" or "woman's world"!

Bright, just a tip re: the sweet tooth - someone on another list said she mixed sugar-free instant pudding with plain nonfat yogurt and it was a yummy treat that took care of her sweet craving. She also suggested freezing it like a popsicle (although I think I'd prefer it not frozen, myself). Thought I'd pass that along in case you could use it!

Tonight a wave of nausea overcame me, and I freaked. I sure didn't want to throw up, but then, I wasn't too keen on using the Phenergan suppositories my doc prescribed in case of nausea! I walked around a bit and the feeling passed, but it keeps kind of coming and going. I'm not sure if it's truly nausea from overdoing it (I don't think so - all I've had over the course of the day is a Protein shake, 8 oz. of yogurt and about 3/4 cup of Soup [1/2 cup potato and 1/4 cup very finely pureed chicken and broth with pesto]) or if it's that hunger pain that's so bad it almost makes you feel like you're sick. So now I can't decide if I should try to eat anything else, or drink something, or just go to bed, or what. I'm kind of hesitant to lay down feeling like this. Any thoughts?

Thanks, Donali! I think mine was probably from lack of calories. I drank some juice before bed and felt OK, felt decent this morning after I ate (oops, make that drank ) my breakfast, and now I'm starting to feel a little squirrelly again now that it's getting close to lunchtime. So I think when I feel that way, I just need to eat or drink a little something, or just work on getting more calories in during the day.

Hey y'all, Another August bandster here - I was banded August 27! My experience wasn't bad - got to hospital at 7 AM, heparin shot/bloodwork/IV and all that, chat with my doc at 9:15 AM, off to the OR, and all I remember is talking with the people in the OR a little. I remember waking up around 12:30 or so with a massive case of the shakes - hate that little side effect of anesthesia. I stayed in the hospital overnight - no ice chips or anything!!! - had my barium swallow around 11:30 the next morning, and was home by 2:00 that afternoon. I was sore the first few days, but got out and did lots of walking (went home on Thursday, went to GNC and Babies R Us on Friday, went to the mall on Saturday, went to a movie on Sunday, went with my husband for him to get a tattoo on Monday! ), and I think that helped a lot. I'm just stiff now, not so much sore anymore. Now I'm trying to adjust to my band! I'm between clear liquids and full liquids, and I'm having a hard time feeling full - seems like I'm hungry all the time, and I'm not sure what to do about that. I've had a few "what the heck have I done?" moments, but I know that in the long run this will be the best thing for me. And I did sneak on the scale - I've lost 12 pounds, woo hoo!

Yep, my surgery is on August 27 - that's the day after tomorrow, YIKES!!!!! :nervous I'm starting to get just a little nervous. What if I can't handle the adjustment, what if I'm one of the small percentage of people who don't lose weight with the band, what if, what if, what if. AACK!!!! I'll get through this and succeed, right?!

Michelle, I hope all went well - my surgery is Wednesday, so I'll be following in your footsteps soon!

I'm thinking ahead - we may want to have a second child someday (in the not-too-distant future, as I'm not getting any younger! ), and I was wondering if anyone on here has gotten pregnant after being banded. I'd love to hear about your experience!

Hi Tanna and Larry, I live in Midlothian, south of the Dallas/Fort Worth area. I'm waiting to be banded (August 27, a mere three weeks away! ), and it's always great to meet people in my neck of the woods who can relate to what I'm going through!

Thanks, everyone, for the posts! Good to hear actual success stories! Celine, congrats on your pregnancy - your little one will be here just about any day now, right? Wouldn't that be a trick to turn ME into a fertile myrtle?! It took us a year and a half to conceive our son with the help of infertility treatments and IUI - my DH is rocket man, I'm a hormonal wreck. So if we do decide we want another child and the weight loss improves my chances at conception, that's just another added benefit of the band!

That's why I plan to replace my Diet Coke addiction with iced tea! (There isn't a restriction on caffeine, is there?)

Wednesday, I am in awe of your weight loss - CONGRATS!!! And you mean to tell me you participated in a triathlon, too?! You are my hero!!! I'm waiting to be banded on August 27 - I hope that one day I can post here that I weigh 147. Thanks for sharing - you give hope to those of us who are waiting!

JC, good luck with the insurance paperwork - hope everything goes through smoothly for you!

Hi Dawn! I also live in the Dallas area - always good to see someone from my neck of the woods! I'm also waiting to be banded. My surgery date is August 27. Good luck finding a job and some good insurance - hopefully it won't be long before you're banded, too!

Thanks, Cathy! I knew that I could get pregnant after the band, I just don't know anyone who actually *has*. It would be nice to hear from someone who's been pregnant with the band, so I'd have an idea of what the experience might be like. I'd heard to wait at least a year before getting pregnant, and I'm surely waiting until I'm at a much healthier weight. I had pregnancy-induced hypertension with my son, and I'm at higher risk for it since I've had it once already. So I won't take any chances of getting pregnant at this weight - no telling how bad it would be the second time around!

Joann, I have one suggestion about the golf ball feeling (not my personal experience, I'm not banded yet, but from someone on another list I'm on) - try pressing whatever's in your mouth up to the roof of your mouth with your tongue to get the excess air out and then swallow. That golf ball feeling is from swallowing air, or so I'm told. Hope this helps, and that you're able to curb that hungry feeling soon!

Good job, Alex! I'm on a couple of other boards that use this format - I really like it.

Glenda, I'm right there with you - I can only imagine how much crap I *won't* take from people once I'm banded and have lost a lot of weight! But we can't go back and redo the past, we can only make the future better. And I'm another who's so thankful that the band is available now. I'm ready to start life as the new and improved me!

Hi Shaedra! Good luck getting your approval. Hopefully we'll both be on the losing side soon!

Hi Tina, Congrats on the weight loss so far! I hope you can get your port taken care of soon and get the fill. Looking forward to getting to know you!

Hi Beth! I don't have any experience with Dr. Borao or HealthNet, just lots of good wishes for a speedy and easy approval!

Hi Sheryl, Congrats on the weight loss! My surgery date is just a few weeks away, and I can't wait to be able to say I've lost 55 pounds. Keep it up, and I look forward to getting to know you!

Hi, everyone! My name is Lisa, and I'm waiting to be banded on August 27. My surgeon is Dr. Richard Carter in Arlington, Texas. My story is probably similar to that of a lot of other people out there. My family hassled me about my "weight problem" even before I had one - I was put on my first diet at age 11, when my pediatrician put me on a diet. 24 years and numerous weight-loss attempts later, I *do* have a weight problem. I'm only 5'1", and I weigh a whopping 270 pounds. I've only come to realize the extent of my weight problem in recent years - for a long time I never perceived myself as fat. But one day I did, and I've been struggling with it ever since. My son, who is now a year old, has been my biggest motivation in going for the band. I don't want to be his big fat mama who has to sit on the sidelines because she doesn't have the energy to do anything else. I want to be his healthy, active mama who runs around with him in the yard and attends all his events and activities and is here to see his children grow up. I'm doing this for my health, and for my son, so his mama will be around for a good long time. I'm looking forward to getting thinner and healthier, and to tossing out all the clothes in my closet and replacing them with ones in MUCH smaller sizes! And I'm also looking forward to getting to know others sharing this journey with me!