New Hope

Congratulations! So glad to hear that you're feeling more confident w/your band. That's sweet the way your parents are supporting you and trying to eat better too. They'll end up getting healthier along with you.

Congratulations, Jenna! Hope all is well.

It is with a heavy heart, I am sharing a pm I rec'd tonight from our dear Blossom's husband. As many of you know, Carolyn and her husband were in the process of clearing land for their dream home. March 12, 2005, she was driving their old tractor when it suddenly flipped over on her. She felt no pain and was gone instantly. Her funeral service was held on March 16, 2005, in Gainesville, Texas. Her sweet husband wanted us to know that this forum gave her comfort and confidence in the decisions she made in her life. I know you will want to join me in extending our heartfelt prayers to Philip and their precious families during this difficult time. I have pm'd Philip (Carolyn's husband) and have asked for a way to contact him. Her email address is not available. Others have expressed a desire to show their respect. If you have any ideas, please feel free to pm me. Please feel free to post your comments here on this thread. I know they will mean a lot to him.

You are out of the 400's (for good) and well into the 300's! That is a lot of progress in a very short period.

pb is a lot like baby spitup -- food that hasn't been digested yet, gets stuck and comes back up...sort of like throwing up. LOL means laugh out loud

Melissa, you're very wise to get this taken care of. Best of luck to you and congratulations on the 46 pounds you've lost.

Same as Betty and Karen.

Laura (((Hugs))) and prayers for a noncomplicated surgery and smooth recovery. Please post and let us know how you're doing when you feel like it. Congratulations!

Nykee, please be kind to yourself! 40 pounds is a lot of weight - gone, girl, for good. Go pick up a 40 pound bag of dog food and see how long you can carry it around. We didn't gain all of this weight overnight and it's going to take a while to lose it. But that's good because we can concentrate on what and how we're eating, exercise regularly, and drink tons of water (but not w/meals or 1 hour afterwards). Have you tried tracking your meals on www.fitday.com? It's free and really helps show you where the calories are going. Please just try to take it one day at a time. That weight is already making things easier for your back. Come here and "talk" with us often. No matter what your question, you'll find someone that understands. You don't have to do this alone. (((Hugs)))

Wow, Alexis! You look great! And you've lost 130 pounds! Congratulations!

www.lap-surgery.net is Dr. Hadar Spivak's website. (Houston band dr.) Texmamma, he has a very thorough pre-op questionnaire that you can download and use for any dr. you use. (good info.)

Good for you, Norma! Sounds like you're getting the rough part behind you.

LOL LOL Paula, give the frosted shredded wheat a try. Are you drinking plenty of Water during the day?

There is a lot of information available in the old posts. A "search" will probably answer about any question that you can think of. Please research and learn as much as you can. Best of luck to you.

Have you tried doing any "searches" (at top of the page)? Everyone you talk to will tell you something different. Insurance or self-pay? Local or out of the country? Do you have a specific banding doctor in mind? It's not just about who has the cheapest price. It's your health and you deserve the very best that you can afford - for the surgery and for your aftercare. There's lots to learn. You will probably get more responses if you delete one of your duplicate threads. Best of luck to you.

Good for you, JQ! That's why I bike ride...easy on the joints. Keep up the great job!

Wednesday, 8 miles bicyling. Thursday 10 miles bicyling. Gorgeous weather!

Pat, I think that would be a wonderful sign of respect! I have pm'd Mr. Alex to see if it's possible to retire her avatar. It may take him a few days to respond. We have been truly blessed to have known her for the short while that we did.

I have made a notation as to the contents of this thread. We each handle grief in our own individual way. These photos are therapeutic to some of us and upsetting to others. I am thankful that our shared memories have brought a sense of comfort to her sweet husband and pray they continue to do so.

Teresa, please hang in there and get some answers! I don't know if there is a time factor that you have to work with, before they can close your case. But this sounds like it's going from bad to worse for you. And you shouldn't have to just live in pain without someone running specific tests (MRI or whatever) to find out what's going on.

I was just wondering how all of these people are doing now in their weightloss journey. This was started in 09/03.

Teresa, I am so sorry that you are having so much pain! This definitely sounds like it's related to your accident. Have you been to a chiropractor? Have you had any MRIs or catscans run? I've been told that type of injury will not show up in a regular xray. They really need to find out why you are hurting so bad. Please keep pursuing this and I hope you get some good, fixable answers. (((Hugs))) sweet girl.

Maureen, have you asked your band surgeon, and told him what type of anesthesia/pain blocker will be used? That would be your best bet. I know you are so ready to get your knee repaired! Please let us know what you find out. Best of luck to you!

Are any of these people still around?

Crystal, hang in there, girl! You really will start seeing a big improvement in your breathing! I haven't had to use my nebulizer once since being banded. I had those those suspicious polyps and fibroids. D&Cs were just temporary fixes for me. A partial hysterectomy was the answer and I'm so glad! (((Hugs))) and prayers that you are now on the road to recovery - with all of your health. Boy, you haven't even had time to appreciate getting your band yet!