whippledaddy

Glad you're home and doing okay, Michelle. Hope all continues to go well.

Whattya wanna hear? I can only hope to pay forward the wonderful encouragement you have given to me the last few months. If I'm not mistaken it was the wise and kind Leatha g who lifted me back up from the pits of despair, on more than one occassion. And many others have done the same for me, and for the others here. All of you are my band sisters and brothers, and proud I am to say so. By getting banded you saved one life, your own, and by sharing so candidly and openly here you've perhaps saved many more. You, too, are my band sister, from the time when I stood afraid on the other shore, to now, a novice in this new world of chew chew chew, drink drink drink. Your wisdom and knowledge do not go unnoticed, your thoughtful posts, and good nature help make this a wonderful place to be. And you are in good company with the likes of all the others who post here. Why else would I make this my first cyber destination after a double shift?

So, now Ryan, I guess I am not a November Band sister to you, unless our Mom was in a very long labor ...like 2 weeks. HA. Well, wasn't Mom a trooper? Imagine, she was in labor for two weeks and didn't utter a word of complaint. Just as it binds our physical bodies to keep us from doing ourselves more harm, so does it bind all who wear it, or are about to wear it into a brotherhood. The brother hood of the band. So, mere time will never make us less sibling than ever. You ARE my band sister, now and always. I will whisper a prayer for you, Sis, into the darkness tonight. All will be well. It will be worth the wait. Wait but a few heartbeats more, a few more shallow breaths, and you shall be on your way. We await you, a family you never knew you had. We shall travel together. It is worth the wait. I cannot begin to tell you the positive feelings you will have once banded. This only happened now, because it NEEDED to happen now, and just this way. Take heart, and have faith, your banding journey is unfolding as it should.

Initials? Old Dwindling Bald Guy

Thank you Carmen. I was banded just nine days ago. How comforting to know what the fabric of the next year will be. Posts like yours are doubly inspirational, for us newbies, knowing what the future years hold can be like a breath of fresh air on a day when the waiting seems so long. Thank you for that post, it's just what I needed. Today I can add one more thing to my long and joyous Thankful list, you and your post.

Hello Khadija, I was on 2000mg of Glucovance a day. I haven't needed it since surgery, The Doc said that I probably won't need it as my weight drops and I get more active because I feel better. Hope this helps. I, like you, did a lot of research on both surgeries, and I have an insight that many others do not. My wife had rny in February of 2002, and I have seen both the positive and negative side to it. This knowledge, and this site, were instrumental in my decision to get the band. When my wife said "If the band had been available to me at the time I would have gotten that instead of the rny." that clinched it. Hope this helps.

Tman, my surgery took about 45 minutes. I went to sleep (compliments of Versed) in the prep room and woke up in recovery. It was in Recovery longer than surgery. Very little pain, few problems at all. The most painful part was the IV in the back of my hand! Good luck. If you're apprehensive about the surgery in any way a lot of us have posted about the experience. It could settle some of those nerves.

If you travel, may your road be smooth, and gas low in price. If you let others do the driving, may each one seek a Higher Power to sharpen the eye and steady the hand. May the food be as delicious and warm as your welcome, may your eyes be dazzled by the smiles of your loved ones. If you are hosting, may all be on time, and as joyful to come as you are to recieve them. May your oven not waver may your gravy not lump. May your pie crust be flakier than weird Cousin Bump. To all who gather, or stay home alone, may the truth of the day not go undetected. May you avoid the pitfalls of tryptophan long enough to catch the biggest play of the game. May all the relatives, inlaws and outlaws, fail to irritate you. May you be gently reminded, at least a thousand times, of the bounty you have in your life to be thankful for. And may you notice most those things which cannot be defined by numbers, or seen with the eye, those secret joyous treasures which only you can see. Like the twinkle in your loved one's eye, or the hug you feel more in your heart than in your back. And, when all is over, and this day is done; may you be able to truthfully state "Gee, that was fun". Happy Thanksgiving. On my "thankful for" list is all the folks here.

Whoa! How'd I get in this? Besides, I never read this thread either. Uhhhhh.....well I don't know how I could've posted here if I never came here, but, well that's my story and I'm sticking to it! Greg! My Brother from another Mother. See what you got us into?

Hey MissKitty! Wow, that's sure impressive weight loss! I'm so proud of you, and so happy for you too. Please come a post and tell us all about yourself. I know some of us could use the inspiration. There's the Introductions folder where you can tell us more of your story. I'm new to the land of the banded, only a little over a week out. But since I started this whole journey I've lost 31 lbs, and it sure feels good to be off the pain pills for my joints, and the diabetes pills. And getting a good nights sleep is part of the benefits I'm reaping. Good luck to you, you're a wonderful example and we can always use one of those. You'll find a caring group of individuals here who are unafraid to share anything, but beware, many of us can't let a day go by without checking on our friends here. I know I can't.

Leatha, you're exactly right. My no no list is exactly the same as the one the bypas folks get. In fact everything about the eating is the same excep the Bandsters progress through the stages faster. He has us on regular food in four weeks.

Here comes the time of year dreaded by me, my whole life as a fat person. The Holidays. Yes, they are lovely, too, and yes I love being with family, too. But the holidays, every blessed one of them carries a load of dread as well. I start planning early in the fall to get out of them artfully, usually to no avail. Thanksgiving approaches, and that means gathering with the whole crowd, and while it's nice to come up to date with relatives you haven't seen for a year, there must be some reason you haven't seen them for a year. Are they looking at me judging? "Is he even bigger this year? Look, he's taking more turkey." Then they come over and act offended when I can't eat a whole pie, or don't go back for the leftovers before half time. They seem to want to send the most leftovers home with me, like I need them. But this year it will be different. This year I'll be sipping my turkey broth, take a forkful of mashed potato and call it a feast. Yep. This year will be better, I'll stand tall, and a few pounds thinner than last year. I will triumph. Except, this year, of all years, this year, when I didn't want to get out of the family get together of Thanksgiving, this year......................they canceled. The men all want to go hunting, and everyone else (hey, I wasn't included in the men! guess that's because I don't hunt, chew snuff or drink beer) has had weight loss surgery, and can't really eat all that much. WE COULD'A STILL GOT TOGETHER! I WANNA SHOW OFF! Well, that's okay, I guess. Soon the snow will fall, and deer season will fade to muzzle loading season, and they'll never cancel Christmas. Not and give up the orgy of overpriced gift giving! They'll all want their precious stuff! And by then I'll be able to show off even more. I will have had another month to drop ten pounds or so. Yeah. Christmas. But the holidays still hold dread. You feel the eyes when you go shopping. The stores are cheek to cheek, you can't get down the aisles you want to, and sometimes, when you're fat, there just isn't room, to squeeze by. You wanna buy diet soda and Little Debbies, and you know how silly it looks and you see people looking in your cart and you wanna say, "Hey, the Little Debbie's are for my friend" But you know they won't believe you. Of course being the resourceful fellow I am I always make sure that right on top of my cart is a box of my wife's sanitary napkins. She thinks I'm being thoughtful, but all the other shoppers think I'm shopping for my wife, and buying what she told me to buy. Then there's all the people you see out shopping that you know. And the obligatory chat. Is there some federal law I don't know about that forces everyone to suggest to fat people that they should play Santa? Because after forty odd years of being fat, and living in the same town it seems they would realize I ain't gonna play Santa. In fact, I think Santa's overdue for a friggin' Lap Band! And the Cookies. Everyone shoves them at you. You know they disapprove of you being fat, but they try to make you fatter. Cakes, pies candy. The whole world goes on carb overload, and the fat person in the group is elected the point man. Eat your way to New Year's. Not this year. Hear me world? Not this year. And by next Christmas I hope to have so much skin hangin' that you'll ask me to play a sock puppet instead of Santa. This year I'll have a chance to enjoy the Holidays for what they are. I'll have a chance to be truly thankful next thursday for what I have been given, a new chance, and a new and shining hope for a new and shining life. A chance to deal with my problems directly and beat the monkey of food off my back once and for all. Then I can realize a month and a day later that Christmas is really about new chances, after all. It's about forgiveness, and starting over. That's why He was born, and why He died. I'll be able to remember the reason for the season. Then a week after that I will Celebrate the holiday of eternal new beginnings, New Year. And I can do it without food, and booze. I can go out my door and look up at the frozen sky and shout "Chapter Two of my life, here I come!"

Nancy, my "never touch again list" included the things you said. Coconut, rice pasta untoasted bread, nuts, high fat, or sugary foods and drinks, among other things. A long list. Maybe it's a Michigan thing.

Congratulations. It is comforting to know that this really does work, and there really is hope. I'll read your post often to keep me up during those down times.

YOUR SURGERY Yes, it’s kind of scary, You will be asleep, and others will be in control. But, remember, others have gone through this, thousands of times before you. They, too, were afraid, wondering about the future and the changes This would bring. But: Change is forward motion; And, forward motion is one sure sign of life. Remember, to live life in the moment, Then tomorrow will take care of itself. And time will pass, And the wounds will heal, and You will heal. Take care.......Take time......... You can do this.

Okay, I'm in, I'll post my own saggy boob pics, if everyone else does. Heh heh heh. Maybe I'll even wear the Hulk underoos. Or should they be "The Incredible Shrinking Man?" Tom Thumb? No matter, I'm in. By the way.... My wife has lost 270lbs with her RNY, and our family doc said to make sure to request treatment for rashes every couple months to establish a history of problems from excess skin. Done properly this can cover both tummy tuck and breast reduction. Patty started at 460lbs, so she's really got a lot hanging. I still think she's breathtaking, but it really bothers her, so I said "if that's what you want, go for it, I'm behind you all the way". I also heard that the burn unit would pay for the skin, but haven't got anything concrete.

Well, I don't know what to tell you. I do know about me and my life, and if I tell you some things about me, maybe that could help some. It sounds like you're trying to invoke your will power in the last couple sentences of your post. Now me, I have completely given up on will power for anything but the short stretch, say..................oh fifteen minutes. I mean, I've got lots of willpower for a short time, but, like Sisyphus, sooner or later, you weaken, even if just a bit. Willpower hasn't help me much in the weight loss thing. What I know about me is: I've gotta deal with the emotions another way. Usually, painful as it seems at first, this is to face the emotions directly. This is because I use eating as a way to hide from my own feelings. Emotions, to me, are just another way of saying stress. Since we know that even happy stress affects the physiology the same as unhappy stress, I concluded that stress and emotions are interchangeable for our purposes here. Alleviate the stress. Deal with the emotion. Eating isn't hiding, and it isn't helping. Sometimes I just go somewhere and have a good cry. Catharsis is a wonderful thing. Sometimes I find a friend kind enough to listen to a good rant and vent. It all depends on how I feel. If you don't have a friend handy, and you don't want to share things openly, pm me and rant away. I promise to respond, and not to judge. Never to judge. I'll read every word. Now I bet I'm not the only one here who'll give that offer. After all, you may not feel comfortable sharing some things with a man. Now. If I'm so durn smart, why ain't I skinny? Why did I need the band in the first place? Because many times I fail. I fail to follow my own advice. I fail to recognize wisdom when I come across it. I fail to be strong in the face of adversity and want to hide..........which I do by eating. I hope this can help. If not, I hope you find some way to get through this TEMPORARY difficulty. At least know, that there are tons of people who care for you, believe in you, and know that even if you have a setback today, that you will get up before the Ref counts ten and fight on. You see we believe in you, and the Band. You should believe in you and it, too. Know that, though thousands of miles separate us all, we are close. As close as the next moment. As close as souls can be. This too shall pass, and, oh yeah, You......Can.....Do.....It.

Ogden Nash (my favorite poet) wrote: One would be in less danger From the wiles of the stranger If one's own kin and kith Were more fun to be with He got it all those years ago.

Everyone on this earth has something physical that sets them apart. I find it sad that so many wish not to attend gatherings that should be moments of togethership and joy in family and friends simply because of which physical item they have. My arrogant relations always attend. My boring relations are always there, never leave I guess. People with pock marks, people with funny ears, or large noses, or bald heads. Yes they get picked on, but the fat get it harder than many. Look at how many of us feel this way. Afraid of our own kith and kin. Because of judgemental behaviour. One thing I know. We will not pass these prejudices along. We'll teach our children to tolerate. Now all the others out there, well, that's another story.

Whoa, Janine, you're up in God's Country ain't ya, ya lucky thing! I was banded just eight days after you by Dr. Cudjoe, here in alma (the Middle of the Mitten, only another Michigander would understand that, eh? I'm getting hungry, too, but I'm only on Clear liquids, I plan on eating puddings and pureed Soups when I get to the next step. My dietician also suggested thin cream of wheat, cream of rice, etc. One good thing I've found is hot broth, and hot herbal teas. Something warm seems to keep the hungries away longer. Tonight I ate a two ounce cup of Jello and felt stuffed, musta ate it too fast. Good luck. You'll get past the hungries, and just start reading all the old posts here, there's a ton of info in this place, and something else, here you will find the greatest people in the world. These guys are there for you whether good or bad. They can share a laugh as easily as dry a tear, sometimes both at once. You've stumbled on to an oasis of caring and sharing, your luck is definitely changing for the good. They share and do so with all their hearts. Sometimes logging on to this place is the best part of my day. Good luck, you'll win this battle because, you can do it. You....Can....Do.....It.

"No, That Can't Be Shrinking, Too!"

We have all this bounty and wonderful food to enjoy, and not to overuse. Too much of anything, and all that. The whole idea of this band journey we're on seems to be to enjoy life more. If that means a piece of pie, then do so without guilt. Be thankful that now when you eat it you have a degree of control you didn't have in your life before. Enjoy a piece for me. Do they make pumpkin pie broth?

After years of studying the foods of Northern Italy I have decided they have a nearly perfect diet. Well, did have. Of course our modern premade world encroaches everywhere. Even their Desserts are barely desserts by our standards. meat is a condiment, more than a main dish, and every meal, however meagre is a celebration of life itself. They gave the world bruschetta, for which I shall be eternally grateful. For great recipes in this wonderful tradition seek out a book called "The Villa Table" it is the best Tuscan cook book ever. Written by the owner of the foremost school on cooking in the area. And, yep. We celebrate the Holidays with food. No wonder that morbid obesity is now reaching epidemic proportions in our country and others. It is a real problem now in Japan, they are getting fatter at an exponential rate. Too bad, they should have gotten taller first, at least.

Well, I must admit, I crave ice cream something fierce. I'll not weaken. Not tonight. I dont' have any and I'm too pooped to go out, lol.

Yes......Alex.....right......must......have......chocolate......help.......someone......untie me...... I'm feeling the cravings too. Nothing until today when I had to venture to Walmart and all the Christmas stuff is out. The SA guys are already ringing the bells.