leatha_g

Plano here!

my life is absolutely 100% better with the band than without. i really don't have an excessive gas problem and don't generally have a lot of pains. if i do a lot of pulling, tugging, bending, etc, i know the band is there. occasionally it gets tender, but it's a small price to pay compared to my life before it. before the band, the fat around my stomach limited my quality of life as did the excess fat around my thighs and buttocks, even my shoes are smaller and i can wear 'real people' shoes today. i can't begin to imagine going back to life without, however, i have had my band 'un-restricted' and i found it very strange to be 'wide open' and able to eat ALL i wanted. it was very scary to return to that state. i also found that i was not 'cured' from overeating or picking the wrong foods. i had my band replaced, but had i been left without restriction or no band for an extended period of time, i doubt very seriously that i would have been able to maintain the weight i had lost. i really wish you peace with your band or your choice to remove it! it would be a fight to the finish for me, i think.

welcome! where in texas??

Are you talking next week, as in March 29th? I'll be flying out that day. I'd love to see you again too, but alas, they think they need me in St Louis.

These amounts are pretty much the norm. Also, part of the 10 rules is to not eat any longer than 15-20 minutes, regardless of the sizes. It's quite tempting to try to eat for longer periods of time which only serves to get in MORE food.

Awesome news, Janie!! Keep up the good work!!

MY God. I am so so saddened to hear this. I am just at a loss for words. Dear sweet Blossom will truly be missed from this forum and every other place she has touched in this life. Thank you Marie for sharing this tragic news with us.

Hope you're doing well Jamie! Please keep us posted!

LOL Donali!! OUCH... lol. Do it once for me, Megan... or twice... or... sigh...

Petite XL or 16's at this point.

That's one FINE ass you got there Delarla!!

Sounds like restriction to me! The chicken is bound to be more dense than liquids. Try taking smaller bites and chew, chew, chew.

Way to go Teresa!! I haven't even attempted jogging yet, but some deep down part of me wants to. Fabulous progress!!!

It would be hard to say who's THE BEST. Dr Cribbins gets lots of praise, Dr Hamm does too. Dr Benevides has probably been one of the longest running. Dr. Provost is highly praised, Dr. Carter too. I used Dr Veninga and just love him and his staff. We've got quite a group here in the metroplex.

Make sure you do walk, walk, walk. Around your house, outside, inside. Walking is your best friend right now - to prevent clotting, to help stimulate the metabolism, to help alleviate the gas and pain in the shoulders due to stretching of the diaphragm during surgery. Glad to hear you're doing better!

Thats so cool, Megan! I really hope it all works out for you. It is very tough being single in this world today. You deserve someone to treat you nice! The band issue is a hard one. Mainly because my life revolves around my band. How I eat, plans I make, how much I drink, etc. It's kind of hard for me to separate it from everything else. I have personals too and I just state in the ad that I have embarked on a weightloss journey and that I would love to meet someone who would support and encourage that endeavor. That seems enough unless and until I meet someone who sticks around long enough to talk about it at length.

Yes, Blossum, it is.

I lost fluid around my ankles and calves right away. My legs and ankles have NEVER swollen like they did before my surgery since - and it's been 22 months! Thank goodness! After that, I've lost most ALL my weight right off my hips, waist and thighs. I still have to wear larger sizes in pants due to not having lost much around my abdomen. I bought a pair of Gloria Vanderbilt jeans the other day, which fit perfectly, btw, but I had to get an 18, which was kind of disappointing:(, but I understand they run small too. Interestingly, a lady told me the legs fit small and my legs fit perfectly! In a way, that was a NSV for me. I have ALWAYS had huge thighs and never been able to wear Levis or some smaller legged jeans, so that was cool! But, I can't believe how much more I've lost from my legs and behind than the rest. It's very strange.

I had my original surgery Feb 2004. I have had a constant battle with dry eyes. Put in lower plugs, put in 'smart' plugs that stay forever, now I have an upper plug in my right/distance eye and the 'reading' eye is dry. I never had dry eyes in my life! The monovision is great for up close reading, but still is NOT helpful for computer work. The distance is great for real far away IF I use my glasses that correct the 'reading' eye. IF not, I have very distorted vision and the detail I was once used to is no more. I may still go back and have the distance only corrected on the 'reading' eye. I don't mind glasses, but now there is no middle ground. If I'm looking over someone's shoulder at a computer screen, I have no GOOD 'middle' vision, it's all very distorted and guess what! I used the Dr who has done 'THE MOST' lasik surgeries IN THE WORLD. They can't tell me if the dryness will ever correct itself, or the distortion. It's cool if I'm doing nothing in particular, but even watching TV is a nuisance with distorted vision. Lotsa money to go permanently damage my good eyes.

I have monovision and had to have my distance eye done twice. I also still wear my glasses. I am definitely NOT satisfied with the damage I've done to two perfectly healthy eyes.

Have a great trip and a wonderful banding experience! Keep us posted!

Sorry to hear you had a rough night. Be very careful about the nausea. If this continues, you may need to ask for some Phenergran to keep yourself from actually vomiting. So early on, this could be risky to your band. Hopefully you'll have a much better day today!!

I PLEDGE NOT TO BE INVOLVED IN ANY OPEN FORUM THREADS THAT VIOLATE THE GUIDLINES SET BY THE OWNER OF THIS BOARD.

This is really hard for those of us who have met people on both sides of this great divide. It's not a position I asked to be or want to remain in. I would really like for all this to stop. Yes, alot has been said and feelings have been hurt, possibly because too much of our lives are wrapped up in this board? It's a known fact that if children play in the sandbox too long, they eventually have to argue and fight and they really need to be separated awhile. Being banded means that we regain our lives, so we should be able to pull ourselves out of this 'enmeshment' at least for awhile. This should not be SO important that it rules our emotions to the point of spewing our anger all over EVERYONE. It is becoming an extension of our dysfunctional families of origin. Please.. either take your personal disputes private or keep your harsh statements to yourself. :) I've reposted my statement to Becky from her post and I firmly believe SHE and many others absolutely DO NOT deserve to be spoken to in the manner they have. ********************************************************** I really hate the harsh words too. It's very disappointing. Becky, you have done absolutely nothing to deserve being spoken to with such venom. There is absolutely nothing wrong with expressing your disappointment with the goings on of late. My first inclination is to follow you out the door too, but I'm trying really hard to just wish it all away. This is the internet, it is a lapband support board, for Chrissakes, it is not a boxing ring nor a place to force anyone's political or moral views on anyone. It's been made very clear that 'censorship' is not welcome, but why we continue to have this barrage of 'rights' beat over our head is beyond me. Lisa, I love you girl and I love your spunk, but for the life of me, I can't understand why you continue this crusade when it is so plainly fruitless and hurtful to so many others. Is it really worth it?

yep. me too.