GREATFUL

Good luck to you both. I am looking to get PS in the future, enjoy and look forward to all of your post about you journey. Thanks for sharing, it helps us who are coming behind you. Laura

Hey Twinmommy- I like you was so tight that I was only able to eat a few bites of meat, I somehow in my mind then could justify eating other things - sliders - that were not good for me at all. I was also have heartburn and some relux at night. About a week and a half ago the Doc unfilled me down to .5 cc. No more reflux and I am so enjoying eating big salads and tuna, chicken etc. And guess what, the scales have started moving again. I am not saying I have not been tempted to eat pizza, bread and all of the bad stuff. But it is nice to be able to eat better foods. I do get real hungy between meals so I am eating 4 or 5 small meals, lots of fruit and vegies. But, I will be going in for a fill in the next 2 weeks. I will be ready...... OH - Grandbaby is due any time. His due date was May 28th, so I am on standby. They are in Texas and I am in Tennessee so it is about a 9 hour drive..... just a waiting... (It sure is quiet in here) Take care all Laura

My overall experience with the Murfreesboro Surgical Clinic has been great. The staff is very friendly and helpful. I have had 4 fills and one unfill in the past year. I will be going back in a few weeks to get refilled. I can tell I need another fill when I get hungry less than 4 hours between meals and the amount I eat is over one cup. Dr. Eckles did my fills and I have not had any under fluro as of yet. He makes you drink Water as he fills you to see how much you need. My surgery and fills are covered by my insurance. I think my surgery was around $16k, had to have a hernia repaired also. I think fills are around $250 but could be wrong. I would just call their office and talk to them, ask for Angela, she is the best. Thanks, Laura

Hello, I live in Murfreesboro, I was banded by Dr. Eckles, Dr. Westmorelands partner. I have never been filled by Dr. Westmoreland, but I hear he is great. Now , Dr. Eckles is wonderful if you want to consider him. And on a side note, Dr. Eckles has the band himself, so he knows what it feels like to have a fill, restriction etc. I am very pleased with him. Laura

Hey Lizrbit - You are doing so great!!! all I can say is WOW!! Melissa - I am so sorry to hear about the tuff time your DH is having. It is so hard when the ones we love are struggling. You are in my toughts and prayers. I have not seen Sandra around here lately... HEY Sandra if you are lurking let us know how you and that baby are doing. We miss you!!! As I shared earlier I have been having reflux and heartburn problems lately. I went to the Doc last Friday, and he unfilled me, only left in 1/2 cc. All of the problems went away. He wants me to stay this way for about a month and let things calm down and then slowly refill me. Went on a motorcyle ride this weekend to Ashville,NC with a group of our friends, I did pretty good. Tried to eat alot of fruit and salads and drink lots of water. Have not been able to eat salads for a long time, so I enjoyed it. I still have some restriction, so I am trying to make good choices. It has just been wonderful to get a good nights rest and not wake up with acid in my mouth. Being overfilled is just not good! OH, NSV..... I needed a jacket to wear on the bike, and we stopped at this shop, I picked out this one I liked, got a size large to try on...... my DH looked at me and said "Honey, when are you going to see that you are no longer a large?", he then handed me a small..... yes I said size SMALL..... and it fit me perfect. My DH then looke at me and said "SEE, I told you so!" I never dreamed I would wear a size small. Of course I had to buy the jacket....... Oh, on a diffrent note, I have a grandbaby due this week. I am so very excited. It is a boy. He is due May 28th (my moms birthday)..... so we are on baby watch. She goes to the Doc today for a checkup, so we will know more of when to expect Ian Kenneth will be showing up. Hope eveyone had a great Memorial Day Holiday. Take it one day at a time, Laura

Manatee - Lipo is not cheating. Just like the band it is a "tool". I think you are looking Marvalous by the way. Laura

Congratulations to all who have reached their one year Anniversary!!! It has been one heck of a year. I have made an appointment with the Doc for tomorrow. I have been haveing on and off acid reflux at night. I called and had a long talk with the PN (she is great) and she said I need a slight unfill and I need to start taking fruit and veg enzymes. She said I might not getting enough of these in my diet and that can cause digestion problems that lead to heartburn and acid reflux. Has anyone else heard of that? My last fill was five weeks ago, I have only lost 2 lbs since then. I think I am too tight. I just can't seem to eat the good stuff, (chicken, tuna, veggies) but I sure can eat the bad stuff, cho, ice cream. So I am hoping that the "slight" unfill will help. We shall see........ on a good note, I have been working out 3-4 days a week, I have lost a pant size in the past month, and feel like I am more toned. Laura

Hey Karen, How are you Girl? I will be out of town and unable to go this month. Boy I sure do miss the meetings.

It is funny, but I have to play tricks on myself. I hate exercising. I have joined a gym on the way home from work. Because if I go home I will not work out. And I bring my workout clothes to work with me and change before I leave to office. Because if I do not I will talk myself out of it and go home. And, I tell myself I only have to go for five minutes. No matter what I only have to stay for at least five minutes. I get there and start on the tredmill and the next thing I know it I have been there for over an hour. Funny how you have to play games with the innter "fat kid" inside of you. But like the others are say, JUST DO IT!!! Laura

Delo - all I can say is you go Girl!!!

Melissa & Legster- CONGRATULATION on your one year! you have done wonderful. it has been a year of change has'ent it? This year is going to be even better. Manatee - Hey, I think you would make a great speaker. When I started this journey our group had a speaker that went through some of the same problems that you have, and what struck me the most was that she said that even with the problems she would do it all again. It was worth it and then some. I think it helped me to make a more informed choice. Just food for thought...... Laura

Thanks everyone...... the one good thing is the pictures were from December. I have lost and toned up more since then so they are out dated.

I am so upset...........I have a very large family, 5 sisters and 2 brothers. A very busy mess at times. I have two sisters that I am very close to and we share alot, these two were the only ones I told about my surgery and asked them to keep it in confidance. One of them , Becky, had gastric bypass about 4 years ago, I appreciated her support and insite. We have talk all during the past year, we shared food tips, etc. I told her about the pictures my DH had taken of me during my progress and she asked to see them. I did email them to her and she liked them alot. I have not seen many of my family in almost a year, I was so looking forward to going home this summer and having them see the "NEW ME". Call it an ego thing........ Well I found out from one of my other sisters, that Becky, the sister I shared my surgery and pictures with (the one who swore she would tell no one and I trusted), has not only told everyone but emailed my pictures to everyone also. I am crushed, hurt and beyond mad. I am so upset I cannot even call her and chew her out. This was not hers to share, this was mine, my accomplishments. I called 3 of my other sisters for mohters day, and confirmed it, they have know about my surgery for a long time and have seen the pictures. One of them said " Whats the big secret, everyone knows". Don't you just love family................I guess I have learned that when I want to keep something secret I will just have to keep it to myself. Laura

Hello my name is Laura, and I am an Ice Cream addict also. It is very bad when it comes to that wonderful creamy easy to eat sweet cold treat. I just cannot have it in the house. I am a stress eater, like comfort food. Ice Cream is the one thing I can eat alot of, so it works as a food fix for me. I can sit in front of the TV with a 1/2 gallon and spoon in hand and just veg out. It was not working for me, I did not let someone cut me open and mess with my insides just to be slower at eating ice cream. I got the band to change my life....... one time I was standing in front of the Ice Cream at the grocery store, I called my husband and asked him to talk me out of the store, about why I do not want to eat that stuff. So Girl you are not alone, I feel your pain. I have taken up knitting, you cant eat ice cream with a knitting needle in each hand. Laura

Hey Everyone...... Happy Late Mother's Day!! Well, the trip to Texas to attend my step daugherts graduation went well. And the all so dreaded meeting of the ex, well........ that went better than expected. And I looked fabulous....(at least I felt that way). I had bought this really sharp looking pant suit (size 8). Got a new cut hair cut, had my nails done. My DH had this grin on his face and me on his arm when we walked into the restaurant to have lunch before the graduation. He said that I was the best "arm candy" he had ever seen. Then I meet the ex..............well, not that I was keeping any kind of score but...... I am younger than her, I am (now) thinner than she is, I do not have gray hair (thanks to the bottle) like she did. And she had her boyfriend there with her, and get this, I caught him "checking me out". Talking about good for a girls ego........... There was about an hour of time between the lunch and the graduation....my DH said he needed to stop by the hotel, he said he needed to get the extra batteries for the camera. Lets just say, that was not why he wanted to go back to the room, and I had to re-fix my hair. And he had a even bigger smile on his face when we went to the graduation. So all in all it went WONDERFUL!!! if all of that was not enough....get home and step on the scales and I lost 1 1/2 lbs, YEA. Life is good. Laura

Melissa I had the same talk with my Doc, and he told me the same thing. Funny how we have set in our minds just where we have to be in one year, and if we do not make it we have failed. This is a life long journey, one day at a time. Well, wish me luck. This weekend is my step daughters college graduation. I meet the X-wife for the first time. We went out to eat last weekend with a group of friends and my DH said "You sure do make so very lovely arm candy, my dear". I don't think I my feet touched the ground the rest of the night. Laura

HAPPY BANDAVERSARY WEAZER!!!!! You go Girl! 50 lbs is awsome, and the journey is not over yet.

OK... Drum Roll...... Happy Bandaversary to me..... 66 lbs

I have read the replys to your post. I was not sure wheather I should post or not. But here goes..... Everyday I have 3 choice that I make. What I will eat , I will drink my Water and I will exercise. I have to plan all my meals out, sometimes the night before, and have them ready before my day starts. The reason I do this is to stay a step ahead of the "inner child" that lives in this body and wants to take control. If I get hungry and do not have something planned that "inner child" will say "I want ice cream, or chocolate" and I will give in because I was not prepared. You are at the start of this journey. I am just a year in myself. You will learn alot, believe me. I hear a lot of people say, "Dont worry girl, your band will be there when you are ready" Sorry, I just dont feel that way. You let someone cut you open to put this tool inside of you. But it is up to you to use it......

Hey, I popped into the May 2008 room and wished them all good luck. Hope yall don't mind I invited anyone to come in here if they had any questions, etc. Laura

Thanks Metalband, I feel great about myself. It's amazing what loosing 60ish lbs can do for your self esteem.

Hello Everyone I am one to the aMAYzing bansters. I was banded on May 2, 2007, one year tomorrow. I just wanted to pop in here and tell each and everyone of you GOOD LUCK!!! you have a unique year ahead of you. I would just like to say that if you need encouragement, help or anything you can drop in our May 2007 area and I know that any of use would be more than happy to respond. GOOD LUCK ALL Laura

Well I have made it for half of the day on liquids. Funny I am not hungry......... Pouring down the water, getting my exercise running to the bathroom. Weazer you have such a great attitude....I just love that about you! Tomorrow is the big day..........ONE YEAR BANDED...... I will see what the scales have to say in the morning. I can't believe it, it went by so very fast. Here is to May being the best month ever. Have to go shopping. Have to get a really great looking outfit to wear next weekend. My step-daugher is graduating from College next Sat., and the X-wife will be there (I have never met her), so I have to look real classy. We woman are funny about things like that...... Laura

Okay, I am joining in with the liquids. I will start in the morning. I just need to do something to jump start me. I am craving way too many sweets and carbs. So here is to the liquids............. Laura

Click on this to go to the ticker website.