Terry Poperszky

Calendar reminded my that it has been 3 years since I got my lapband and I thought I would check in. Total lost is about 70 pounds, but it does fluctuate. I am still wearing size 34 pants (down from 46), although this holiday season has made them a bit tight, I should be back to normal in a couple of weeks of regular eating. Still one of the best decisions that I have ever made, especially since I was diagnosed with Prostate cancer(currently in complete remission) a couple of years ago, the weight loss made the accompanying surgery and radiation much easier on my body. Lapband is/was not a cure for me, it is a tool. I still wrestle with emotional eating although that is becoming less and less. There are times I hate the band because it forces me to seek other solutions to emotional turmoil that do not involve food. I don't visit the site very much anymore because my eating and weight are no longer a focal point of my existence, in that I think I am as close to normal as I will ever be. But this site and a large portion of the contributors were instrumental to me to getting my band to work for me. Thanks.

CG poked me, so I thought I would just take a minute and check in. Just a tad shy of two years with Mistress Band, My weight has been rock steady for over a year now, and although I wouldn't mind dropping another 10-15 pounds I am very comfortable where I am at, Still riding bikes, although they are put away for the winter. But I have never been able to complete a century yet, something always seems to get in the way. This year it was prostate cancer and the surgery came right in the middle of my prime riding time, but both the prostate and the cancer are gone, with no lasting health concerns. I am dealing with the winter muchies, and have been having extreme carb cravings for the last couple of weeks since the cold set in. Fall allergy season was no fun, Mistress Band is real pissy when there are large amounts of mucous entering my stoma. Aside from that I am dealing with a flooring remodel at my house that makes me want to cry.

@bandinista Yes, the floor is done. Painting to look forward to next month.

For the last several months, I have been plateaued big time. Lose 5 pounds and it comes right back. BUT I have an interview on Monday and I am nervous as heck, first interview I have had in over 17 years. So my wife and I went out to find me a new outfit, picked out a dress shirt and slacks and asked my wife to pass judgement. Her opinion? Shirt was too big, I either needed a slim or a smaller shirt. The long and short of it? I ended up with a full inch smaller in the neck and arms and still could have used a slim cut, but couldn't find one. So, the scale has been plateaued, but my body hasn't, it is still changing (Shrinking)

As a bander, my weekday mornings consist of a fruit/vegetable/dairy smoothie, only real way I can get those things down on a regular basis, and getting solid food past my band before 9:00 am is a crap shoot.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rachel-ohuiginn/i-am-happier-heavier_b_4413458.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000009 Interesting perspective. My only observation is that I am not as anxious over gaining my weight back or about reaching goal, the LB has created a new "normal" for me.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/14/corey-harrison-weight-loss_n_5584077.html

There is a lot of FUD right now about how effective a yearly PSA test is, even to the point of recommending that guys consider not having it checked on a yearly basis. I personally have mine tested every year and have been watching PSA climb over the last several years, and when I went in for this year’s physical, my PCP kicked me back to a urologist for a biopsy, and the biopsy came back positive for prostate cancer. 2 weeks ago yesterday, I had my prostate removed, walked out of the hospital 24 hours later, got my pathology report back 5 days later showing that the cancer was contained in the prostate and I had a 90% of remaining clean. The point is, I didn’t have symptoms, fact is the surgeon, said that I probably wouldn’t have had symptoms for another 5 years. My surgery was easier because of two things: 1. We caught it early 2. My dropping 70 pounds over the last year. So, if you are over 40, eat your pride, drop your drawers and try and relax, it could save your life.

Well, I'm not a medical professional but I have been to 4 different urologists over the past several years, and each one of them insisted on sticking his finger were the sun doesn't shine. Here is what I learned from my years battling my prostate: 1. A rising PSA doesn't mean you have cancer (Often caused by infection) 2. Cancer doesn't always cause your PSA to rise. 3. According to my urologist, digital manipulation allows the Dr. to gauge size and texture (i.e. a hard spot indicates a tumor). FYI, the last urologist did a digital manipulation knowing that I had cancer, because it gave him more information about the stage of the disease. What revealed my tumor was a 21 needle biopsy which found cancer in three of the 21 samples. One of those was an aggressive strain.

Got my first PSA results after the surgery, less than 1/10 of one point, which means I am clean (For now). Now, only 10 more tests, one every 6 months for the next 5 years showing the same results and I am considered cured. To Celebrate I got on the bike and did a couple of miles.

We all had trouble with our pre-op diets, after all if we could stop eating by ourselves we wouldn't have needed surgery. With that said, your struggle is not going to be over once you are banded. You will have a lot to learn (and un-learn) if you are going to be successful. BUT, for me, it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Good luck in your journey

Nope. Not as long as people are looking for a miracle/magical pill that takes away personal responsibility. Just think how many fad diets have been tried by the participants of this board.

If one more person quotes "Dr. Oz" to me on health advise, I am going to lose it. He is a snake oil salesmen who takes advantage of the gullible.

Mtn biking and road biking are sooooo different, and I love them both. when I am on my road bike it is a zen like experience, becoming one with the bike, the repetitive motion of your legs, it is very calming and peaceful for me. Mtn biking on the other hand is an "E"ticket ride, better than roller coaster you have ever ridden. It is total concentration and depending on the grade, total fear. Like I said, I love them both. As far as what 2mf said, I wish I had gotten a soft tail, but I will ride my hard tail for a couple of years and then move to a soft tail. I got a Giant 29' Tracker for 900.00 and it is one sweet ride.

If you cheat now, why do you thing you won't cheat with the lap band? Believe me, you are going to face even harder temptations than a 7 day pre-op diet. Does everyone cheat? No. Do some people cheat? Yes. Did I cheat? Frankly I don't remember. You will need to learn to live a whole different way from the way you have lived in the past. It is hard. It is worth it. Start now. And just in case you think I am being harsh, here is a

I used to be pretty active on the forum, mostly because my lapband was the center of my universe. I still log on daily, browsing the new content to see if there is anything interesting or pertinent to my life, but I rarely find a post that tells me something new, or where someone hasn’t already said what I would have said. I used to log every meal with MFP, meticulously logging my exercise as well, but I can’t remember the last time I was there. I eat what and how much I want, I exercise when and how I want, not paying much attention to calories burned. I haven’t been in for a fill in almost a year, I will check in with my lapband surgeon in a couple of months, not because I need anything, but because I agreed to do it yearly when I got my surgery. I stopped weighing myself daily, and sometimes forget to do it weekly. I have lost almost 70 of the 100 pounds that I want to lose, I am still losing a pound every month or two, but I am comfortable, happy and have been told looking good at where I currently am. My point in all this is, my lapband is no longer the center of my life, Mistress Band just is. When I started this journey, my relationship with her was the intense burning of a new love, and now I feel more like the comfort of a life companion. I feel normal now, my life doesn't revolve around my band, or food. It is the greatest gift that Mistress Band has give me.

B-52, one of my realizations about the band was that it works differently in different people, and the we each need to figure out how it is working for us. I have watched (and participated) in the flame wars over how to work your band, how to get through a plateau, what you should/shouldn't eat, until I came to the realization. Now, much like you I share my experiences and let people take them for what they are worth. I was positive that I was going to lose the whole 100 in the first year, and the first 60 came off fairly easily, the next 5 where hell on earth as I logged, and exercised and sweated and cursed for the next 6 months, until I finally gave up and started living my life and listening to Mistress Band. Then one morning I weighed myself and I was down a pound, then a couple of months later, down another. Yet I look at my friends on the forum who have lost so much more than I have in a shorter amount of time and there is a temptation to get jealous. But the important part is, I am happy where I am. I am wearing clothing sizes that I have not been able to wear since I was in Jr. High School. I feel good, I am moving and doing things that I never could have done before. My health is better. And no, it is very hard for the newly banded to understand where we are. Why? Because (for me) it is someplace they have never been. So, I visit the forum on a regular basis, exchange PM with friends, and answer posts when I feel my answer will make a difference.

Because they caught it early, because it was contained, no chemo, no radiation. For the next 5 years they will watch my PSA for a reoccurrence, after that I am clear.

Heroin and Nicotine addictions are different, but they are still addictions. You are not saying that your addiction is the same as theirs, just that it shares properties in common with all addictions. Think about this though, they can go cold turkey and yet we still have to eat.

Good words B!

You might want to examine the first sentence of your first two paragraphs. If this is a literary device, feel free to ignore my post.

All I can say is drink plenty of hot liquids to keep your stoma cleared out while you wait for the anti-biotic to kick in.

Co-worker walking past me in the hall "GWAD, you are skinny!" Thank you Lap Band, and thank you to all who have provided me support over the last year.