Sharpie

oh my dear Lisa, You have confirmed my decision to stop all the torture for my sweet husband. After months of surgeries and Iron infusions and all kinds of tests, colonoscopies every kind of scoping known to man, putting a pick line in his arm so he could receive high powered antibiotics for the bacterial infection that went to his aortic valve (which was replaced last year) his kidneys started to fail and his oxygen level stayed low, he had to live on oxygen. He stopped eating and was so swollen I didn't even recognize him. they suggested dialysis as a effort to get the kidney function going but said he probably would not survive it. so my daughter and I decided that he had had all he could take and I had all I could take. I sent him to hospice and allowed him to die with dignity. My Lord it's hard to lose your parents too, my Dad has been gone since he was 49 years old due to heart failure but I miss him every day. I will pray that your Dad goes peacefully and you can move on with your health issues. I woke up this morning after not really sleeping well, got dressed for exercise class, drove to town and almost turned around and came home but I fought myself to turn onto the street and I actually felt better. So, it's day by day and my daughter is what keeps me going too she doesn't need to worry about me after losing her Dad ,Aunt, Uncle and cousin. it's been brutal . Love you girls wish I could be there to help you Lisa.

Thank you girls for your love and support. I did a little better yesterday with eating and I felt better physically today. Missed my yoga class today , I had a date with my granddaughter to shop and have lunch. I am so blessed to have them close by. yes life just sucks sometimes and nothing remains the same. It gets pretty scary when people you love suddenly are no longer here. I appreciate all of your advise and prayers. It's hopefully going to turn around to something positive in my life soon. I still have my health and I have some plans to travel in Sept. I think this darn weight thing is a struggle and it s way worse when life sucks the will and motivation out of you. I promised my daughter that I would get up each day and do what I can to eat good and exercise. She said Mom, your getting down and not taking care of yourself will not bring them back and will only hurt me and the girls In the end. I will check in and Lisa I am hoping and praying your health is improved. Loveyou all.

Okay guys I hate to do this but I am so overwhelmed today I don't know how to cope. You all know I lost my husband in October, then my brother in February. Since then I have lost my baby sister (65 years old ) due to complications of diabetes and my niece who was only 53 due to complications of having a stent put in her leg (they nicked her aortic artery). I am just so sad. I have drank, ate sweets and everything else I can think of. I have a mild sedative but only take it at night because I am still trying to go to exercise classes 3 days a week. I have so much fear that I might be next. how does this happen ? I really am so tired of funerals and loss and on top of that I have to worry about my own health and I am scared to death l will re-gain my weight. my blood pressure is up and I feel like I can't shake this off. I went to my PA today and asked her to re-new my RX for depression. I have always been the strong person in our family and have done fairly well with my husbands loss because he was so sick towards the end I wanted him to be out of pain. I cannot tell you how much I am furious with God right now. I am not looking for a religious lecture just venting.

66, 200 sw, 125 cw

that is a interesting concept. my Surgeon said to not drink about 20- 30 minutes prior to eating so your pouch would be empty. then wait about the same length of time after eating so far that has worked for me. but hey if your successful with that it's fine. I just cannot drink while I eat at all, it makes me slime everytime.

drinking while eating has never been an option for me. like B52 if I try that my food comes back up. I have to wait at least 20 minutes or more before I drink. I thought that would be a problem for me before my surgery but honestly it's just second nature now.

First Fourth of July without my husband of 39 years. I've had several holidays without him since he passed away in October. I have my daughter and her husband and granddaughters that live close and I celebrated Thanksgiving , Christmas, New Years , Valentines Day and our Anniversary (would have been 40th) in his memory. Even though people are around you still have a feeling of being alone. I stay busy and do enjoy my time. Happy Fourth to everyone .

thanks Julie , I am so grateful for the support I've gotten from you and Liz, I have my daughter and granddaughters close by so I am lucky. My daughter is still struggling with the loss of her Dad. She loved him so and was so close to him. I can't show her my sad side . She is finally able to talk about her Dad without breaking down. It all will take time and I know he would want us to live our lives as happy as we can. In the meantime I am still healthy and happy with my lapband.

at 66 years old I had lapband surgery, it was the best thing I have ever done. I have maintained my loss for 3 years I am now 69 and feel like i'm in my 40's. no diabetes, it was almost out of control , no high cholesterol, no high blood pressure I am mobile and fit,,, I exercise 3 or 4 days a week. you are never too old to get health. Lapband was less invasive but it requires patient compliance. However, I still have my stomach and my intestines were not re-routed. I only take a few Vitamins a day and can eat pretty much what I like. I do not eat bread or Pasta and I mostly eat Protein and some vegetables . I can still have a treat now and then and even a drink on special occasions. don't give up due to your age, you have lots of good years left

sorry your experience was not good. I am one of the many successful bandsters. The Lapband was the best decision I ever made ..It saved me from a life of poor health. at the age of 66 I made the leap to weight loss surgery after many years of failed diets and gimmicks I was a diabetic and had high blood pressure and high cholesterol. My mobility was getting limited every day. I am always sad to see such drastic post about any of the weight loss surgeries but, I am in hopes your issues will be resolved with bypass surgery. There are many failures in each type of weight loss surgery so that being said, there are still plenty of surgeons who will and do perform lapband .

awesome job. you look wonderful.

thanks liz. You understand how it is. Bill and I were a team. Doubt anyone could love me more than he did. He let me be me and never questioned anything I did. WE made major decisions together of course. I think it is possible to be okay with widowhood, I always knew I would be alone at some point, he was 13 years older than me. When I think I will just eat what I want, and to hell with this weight loss stuff.I remember He was my biggest fan and support, he was so proud I made the decision to have lapband surgery. he cheered me on daily. so, it is more difficult without his support but the memory of his beaming at me when I got to my goal will be with me forever.

Liz you are too funny. Yes, I weigh every morning, try to wait until the morning BM. my weight will fluctuate a lb or so depends on what I ate the day before. I am not obsessed just want to stay on track.

I was also overwhelmed by the negativity shown towards the band after lapband talk turned to BP. I stopped posting very much at first. There are failures with all WLS . The lapband has been my lifesaver. at age 66 I was headed for a health crisis. My diabetes was spiraling towards a life with insulin dependence, my cholesterol was too high and my blood pressure stayed high. My GP suggested the weight loss surgery. I am fortunate to have had the best surgeon in our area to do my surgery. He is conservative with fills and I go in to see him at least every 6 months or so. have had no issues and still maintaining my loss. Love my Band hope it last forever.

Liz Bill and I were married 39years, we would have celebrated 40 years this past March. It gets a little easier each day but some days I wake up wondering how to make it through the day without him. I just stay as busy as possible and drop into the bed at night with the TV on. I am trying to adjust to being alone. Thank you so much for your support. Weight wise, about the same, up and down, trying to lose a little before vacation in Sept. going to Canada to a dude ranch for a week and to Glacier Nat'l Park. Take care keep posting and yes I am concerned with not seeing Debbie . Hope someone can contact her to make sure she is okay.

Thank You Sweetie.

Julie I am praying your move will be a positive thing and will help you adjust to your new life without your partner. I am recently widowed and I am trying to find a way to stay balanced. I have not gotten to the point of going through my husband's things yet, can't quite get to that point yet. I won't be moving from our home however, my kids are here and my home is paid for and has been for many years so I know I will be staying here. After 39 years of marriage I feel like a fish out of Water, no one to share my day with and my husband was my best friend and my biggest fan, I was so blessed to have him for those years, he was a wonderful husband, father , grandfather and great grandfather. however, I know he is with me every day. I hope you will be happy in your new place. Take Care .

I received a tip from someone to put baking soda (1 teaspoon) in the water while boiling, I tried it, it did help with easier peeling. it's worth a try.

I stated before and apparently everyone here is a Dr. and knows better than my own Dr. what I should and shouldn't do. If I trusted him to perform my surgery which by the way he does specialize in all types of bariatric surgeries and has been very successful for many years, than I think i'm okay with listening to his advice instead of random people on the internet. If you want to use a straw good for you, I never said people would blow up or anything else ridiculous. geez people need to grow up.

Kindle I doubt he will go too far, I know he goes to Miami to deliver to feed stores, he just happens to live around the corner from us.. very good people have always helped me. When my husband passed away they came over and made sure my hay was put into the barn. yes we are very lucky to have family close . I really am careful about lifting too much weight mostly for my back (I have osteoporosis.) I had band surgery and was told to limit my lifting to 50# . sounds like you are plenty strong but be careful.

I tell people who like to argue about the rules, if my Dr. tells me to stand on my head and spit wooden nickels I am doing it. He said no straws, no carbonated drinks and no gum. so, I paid him to use his expertise to help me. I don't care what anyone on the internet tells me to do. It's a simple concept. so if your dr. says okay with straws well then I guess he knows. I also had the lapband which is different than the sleeve. I can tell you from experience I have drank a little soda one day and it was not a good experience so I'm not going to push my luck. I am happy and healthy and that is what I paid for.

do your best to move around, the pain is from gas trapped in your body. I used a heating pad some and stayed as hydrated as possible. all of a sudden it stopped hurting . every now and then I get a little pain if I eat too fast or eat a little more than I should but overall it's rare . Good Luck, Pain meds did not help much , they make me sleepy so I wasn't active. Also pain meds for me are very constipating which doesn't help with the gas .

I have not had any regrets.. when I first had my surgery I would say the first week I was scared that I would not be able to follow the rules and lose weight. I have done fine , had no problems or complications but I try to be very compliant. My Dr. had some rules such as no straws, no soda's and no gum. Negative stories on the internet can make you feel afraid or anticipate something happening to you, ignore those stories and do your own thing. I have maintained my weight loss for 3 years. I feel great, have managed to get healthier, no diabetes, no high cholesterol and blood pressure back to normal. I would say that was worth it. You will mourn the loss of your favorite foods, but honestly there are very few things that I still crave. I wish you the very best and look forward to you posting your success.

The best feeling was when I started riding again,,I know my horse was grateful that I lost weight. the work involved in owning horses can sometimes be hard on you physically. I can pick my stalls and I have a hay stall so I can feed them flakes instead of dragging the whole bale out to them. My hay man delivers and stacks my hay. I am able to carry my saddle (24 lbs) but 50 lb feed bags are a struggle. My daughter insist that I do not dump the feed by myself. so luckily they live here on the farm (55 acres). I am very blessed to have my children close by to help me. Being careful is important because regardless of what type of surgery you have you do not want to cause damage by being cavalier.

Just talking to my daughter today about how important it is to Celebrate everything in life. Even though we lost her father (my husband) this past October and we miss him so much everyday we still have to continue celebrating . Memorial Day is a special day we have many Veterans and members of our family who are still serving. My father served in both WWII and Korea and even though I lost him many years ago, each Memorial Day is a memory of how much he loved this Country. I had my best friend and husband here for the weekend and we had a great day yesterday, spent in the pool and grilled some nice steaks on the grill. I had about 4 oz of steak and 1/2 baked potato. I am getting ready to get seriously committed to lose another 10 lbs before I go to Canada on Vacation.. Like LIz (Gowalking) I enjoy seeing new posters but still miss some our old bandsters . I have been on this site for 3 1/2 years and even though I am not posting much I still enjoy getting a little dose of motivation from everyone. Have a wonderful day tomorrow and please keep all of our Veterans in your prayers.