Gibson

What fantastic responses! Huge thanks to everyone who posted. It sounds like the solution to my problem is to... A. Focus on my personality (Which I do happen to think is pretty great!) and B. Save every penny I have (then rob a bank) so I can have LOTS OF PLASTIC SURGERY!!!!!!! =) Your posts reminded me of something that I "overcame" a few years ago. I hate my smile. When I laugh, or smile my gums BEAM out of my face and every single tooth shows. I used to hide my smile and when cameras came out I never, ever smiled a genuine smile. Then I had this revelation that anyone who was taking a picture of me in the first place probably loved me and didn't give a rat's bum about my jacked up smile so I may as well just let 'er rip! Since then I've had some very genuine pictures taken and learned a lesson on top of that!

I've told everyone and their second cousin's twice removed that I'm getting banded. I'm sure I'll regret it once they start monitoring and questioning everything I eat but now I'm so excited that I can't stop talking about it. I think you made a very wise choice.

Jack, Now I have this mental image of the Simpsonite in your avatar stripping to that song. My imagination is so warped! LOL wombat, I know what you mean. I've never been thin at all though so I'm sure I'll get all kinds of strange surprises with my body when it starts changing. WAS, I definitely believe it. Don't worry though, when I'm banded and start losing weight I'm going to post before and after pictures here no matter how scary ugly I am! LOL I'll be the happiest ugly woman in the world. =)

<p>No more ibuprofen is one of the things I worry about most after banding. I hope my surgeon has some great alternatives for me because Tylenol doesn't help a bit.</p>

I saw my surgeon's dietician for the first time a couple of weeks ago and not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES she told me, "You cannot drink beer after you've been banded." I had just finished telling her that I drink once, MAYBE twice a year so I was thinking, "WTH? Do I look that much like Norm from Cheers to her?" I have what might be a stupid question. What makes you get drunker faster after you've been banded? Is it because you weigh less?

Hooray for you!!!!!!

Oh, I can add a lot to this list!!!! Great topic!!! Slow Ride- Foghat Crash into Me and Rapunzel- Dave Matthews Band T-shirt and My Panties On- Adina Howard shake You Down- Gregory Abbott Sexual Healing- Marvin Gaye Feeling Love- Paula Cole F- You like an Animal- Nine Inch Nails

You are a talented and creative woman. I honestly love both of them! (And did you switch pictures because I thought the couple looked about the same age?) Hmmmmm.

I'm just wondering, do you think that weight loss surgery was written out AFTER you had already started the process? Could that make a difference? I wouldn't give up until I got everything in writing. Maybe your ins. covered it when you started the process and they would be obligated in some way to pay it now? Just a thought. I'm so sorry this happened. I would be devastated. =(

Oh wow, I just noticed that you went for your tests in January and just had a date set for September. *crosses fingers that mine won't take that long* Good luck to you!

That is wonderful news! I'm happy for both of you! =)

I voted for do it now AND later! I'm so jealous!!! You'll love it!

I feel like such an idiot. A big Sara Lee cake truck drove by me today and the logo said, "Nobody doesn't like Sara Lee." What the????? All my life I thought it was "Nobody does it like Sara Lee." Where have I been and why haven't the grammar police arrested Sara Lee yet? :cry

Geez, I never really took a good look at her before. Does she have a phantom fat arm? I think we should call her Ilean Phantom Fat Arm, if I'm not hallucinating. =)

<p>Band Chick, this may seem silly to you but I've been doing it lately. Since I'm severely addicted to the Internet (specifically, THIS site), I've been listening to super high energy music while I'm online and when I'm reading posts I just move my arms up and down, round and round, back and forth and I can already feel some strength returning to my arms after a totally sluggish summer. Good luck!</p>

Oh my lord, I cannot breathe. That is the funniest thing I've ever read on the Internet!!!!! :clap2:

Oops, I said all that and didn't answer one of your questions! No, I don't have a surgery date yet. No where near it, unfortunately. But I'm not giving up!!!

Thanks for the reply, Marcy! Nope, I don't live in Ashland, I live around two hours south of there but since I live thick in the sticks Ashland is the closest surgery center. I'm glad to know that you have a lot of faith in the hospital! I talked to the wife of a man who had lap band surgery there a couple of years ago and she said it was FABULOUS! I feel so much better now. =)

I'm bumping this because it looks like this is where I'm going to have to have my surgery after all.

I'm bumping this because it looks like this is where I'm going to have to have my surgery after all.

I just had the second manicure and pedicure of my life today and I feel sooooo decadent! I love it! I have a feeling that I may have overtipped though, which is fine, because I think the girl deserved it but I want to know what is typical. Thank you!! Oh, for the record, I had a mani/pedi with color for $38 dollars and gave her $48.

losingjusme, I wanted to tell you that I just went to your blog and looked at your pics and read your posts and....wept. Your progress is amazing. The smiles on your face in your after pictures say it all. Keep up the AMAZING work!!!

Thank you for the welcomes, Losin' and Ridin'! =) (Hey, that sounds like a great username for someone else!) =) I am very disgusted with myself right now. (Like that's anything new? Ha!) I've come to the painful and depressing realization that if I don't low carb there is no way in Hades I'm going to be able to lose that 30-40 pounds I need to lose before insurance approves me. I'm sure you've heard it all before, but I cannot CANNOT feel satisfied when I restrict my calories and do a Weight Watchers type diet. I binge every single night after being "good" all day. (Not really sure if you'd call a trip to a fast food place for a double burger and fries a BINGE or not, but that's what it takes to feel that full feeling.) I lost 70 pounds in five months low-carbing once. That's the only successful diet attempt I've ever had in all of my 37 years on the planet. Now, you are probably thinking, "What's she whining about? If low-carbing works for her then she should just do it!" Well. I'm whining because I'm selfish and piggish and want to eat what I can before I'm banded. I know that the band will pretty much force me into a low carb lifestyle later, and I'm prepared for that, but do I have to suffer now???? *whine* =) It is time to "poop or get off the pot" though. (What a pretty saying!) If I haven't lost weight by the time I go back to my dietician and physician the first week of August, I'm screwed. Thanks for letting me vent here.

Hey guys, can I join this challenge if I haven't been banded yet? (I will go back and read all the previous posts tomorrow but I'm jumping the gun now!) I weigh 330 and it looks like my insurance won't approve the surgery until I've "complied" with the pre-diet enough to lose 30-40 pounds. Geez. Oh well, I'm committed to this banding journey so I'll find a way. I sure could use the support! Thanks!

Jachut, that's great! It means that you pay your waitresses, etc., a living wage without them having to rely on tips! Thanks everyone for your input, I guess I've been right on the money! =)