princess_n_thep

Michelle,

You are the ultimate band princess, I swear. I use your success and your positivity since I have been banded. And your heart and strength are what I am admiring right this moment. Welcome home. I am so glad you are home safe and sound.

Kathy,

Are you going to get another Fill this Thurs??? Are you sure? Why are they pumping in every week??? Try letting your fill work. It usually takes me about 2-3 weeks to see if a fill is perfect and let any swelling go down. I just think that having all those fills in a short time isn't good, just my opinion. And if you are having hard times now, you will be absolutely miserable with another .6 cc's.

I am not a doctor, but I think you should let your fill you have now settle in a bit.

I really think this thread will help us think about where we were, where we are, and where we are going. Also for some of us to really realize that obesity is a VERY serious emotional disease as well as physical.

I think it is great that some people share their votes and I admire some of you for being open about your feelings. I want to remind everyone though that the voting is completely confidential and NO ONE sees your name and how you voted, not even me. I urge everyone to really be honest and vote how they feel.

Thanks again for voting.

Have any of you had suicidal thoughts as a pre bandster due to your obesity? Curious.

Let's be honest, it is a anonymous poll.

In most circumstances w/ the bypass, there is no going back.

Like you'd ever get to say the "hell with it" when it comes to weightloss, Jenna. Funny... that's the phrase that almost goes thru my mind before I EAT.

Why would anyone want to go back? I wouldn't.

As unhealthy as I may see the bypass option, after I had tried the band, I would make SURE the weight did not come back. I don't want my phrase "hell with it" to happen after I had gained back all my weight and couldn't live with the thought of being that way anymore. I was on a serious edge of a cliff even at 220 emotionally. I am sure most of us have felt this way at some point or another. Even if we don't want to admit it. I would do just about ANYTHING to keep the weight off. I know that obesity is a disease, but I definitely think there are varying degrees of how people handle that. I don't pretend to be full of self esteem, but I know that over the past few weeks I have even thought of being preventative and just switching over to bypass now.

Do I know that bypass can be deadly? Yep. But obesity is also deadly for me.

((sigh)) I just don't like the feeling of being a tick tick ticking time bomb. I feel like the band is not the "lifetime" choice it was meant to be. No one has ever made it to lifetime status because of the age of the band. Just depresses me is all. I want to feel like I have this "tool" forever. If I lost it, I would be devastated unless I had some other type of help. There is no way I would fool myself that I (not everyone, but me) would gain the weight and then some right back. Maybe a self defeating thought, but all the same, still my thoughts on it.

What to do... what to do... what to do... ((mulling it over and over and over))

Hmmmmmmm, should I admit that outloud? oops, guess I just did.

May I ask why you had the band replaced? Replaced with what?

I dreammmmmmmmm of being in the 150's again!!! Oh size 10, where are youuuuuuuuuu?

Fantastic! Congrats!

Are you supposed to be trying mushy or solid yet??? My doc says minimum of 2-3 days liquids. Are you taking too big of bites? Try eating with a baby spoon and fork. That worked for me.

agree totally with above

Not a nurse or such but willing to try and help....Knowledge is power! Ask and you shall receive....

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/100000527.html

Do we need to have an endoscopy every so often as part of our checkups???

I have read this thread over and over again. I haven't been able to get anything into meaningful words. I just tear every time I read it. I don't know what to say Lisa. With my recent loss of Jeter, I can't seem to really get the words out. You know I love you and will think of you during this. My thoughts are with you. Call me if you need to talk.

I have no idea how many scoops, but damnit, now I want a chocolate ice cream cone. Thanks! Grrrrrrrrrr....

WE LOVE CRUISES!!! I have been on 14 of them now. I loveeeeeee them. They are the BEST way to vacation! And the most bang for your buck.

I have been on Disney twice. Both times I wasn't really impressed. I agree that Royal Carribean Cruise Lines is my top choice for cruising. Unless you are a HUGE Disney fan and absolutely want the Disney feel, then go to another cruise line. Disney is expensive and not really all that great.

RCCL also has the best kids programs in my opinion. Your daughter will LOVE it!!

The worst time to cruise in the Carribean is Late July-Mid October. Hurricane season. Those are the best rates though. It is a gamble though because seas can be rough and itinerary can change. I like cruises in April and May. January is good too.

We prefer the 5-7 night cruises. 3 and 4 day cruises seem too short, 10 and 14+ cruises are wayyyyy too long.

Regarding cruises:

the best way to have the most fun is to GET INVOLVED! Go to the shows, enjoy the games, shuffleboard, ping pong, rock climbing, do the trivia games, karaoke, casino, bingo, go to the talent show, etc etc. There is a list of all that is going on every day in your room. Take a highliter, mark them and go to them! IMPORTANT: A MUST MUST MUST see on every RCCL cruise ship is the Quest game and the Newlywed game!!! You must not miss it, hilarious!!!

Also, pick a shore excursion. There is only so much shopping and looking you can do at each port. At least one excursion is good.

Remember that you will be tipping at the end of the week. It usually is around $150 at the end of a week.

Enjoy the formal dinners in the grand room. I know it is a pain in the ass to have a set time to eat, but it really is worth it to go!

The most important advice I can give is to have a carry on bag with a change of clothes for the cruise, swim suit and dinner clothing and lounging on the ship clothes that night!! Sometimes your bags don't get delivered to your room until late that night. It sucks to be stuck in warm weather with calypso music playing and you are in a sweater and courdoroys, no make up, airplane hair, with your parka wrapped around your waist!!

I can't wait until RCCL's Freedom of the Seas!!! We are going next November!! WOOOOT!!! And I will bet you all a Twinkie I will be going on that surfing thing!!

Took me about 4 weeks until I was completely exercise comfy (long walks, lifting, etc). Took me about 8 weeks to be exercise sure (impact aerobics, running, bouncing, etc.)

Geez, I almost feel like a ticking time bomb. ((sigh)) I am feeling a bit now like I wish I would have just had bypass and said hell with it.

Shoooooot!! I did full house cleaning today instead of tomorrow! now what? what am i going to do tomorrow??? Ughhhhhhhhhh..... maybe I will venture out to Target or something.

Warm liquids open me up in the morning. I drink hot tea or cocoa every morning. You could try coffee or broth too.

Are you crafty at all? Maybe you can start an ebay business and sell stuff? Holiday baskets sell well right now. My sister makes an extra $1000 a month on ebay by going to thrift stores and re selling on ebay!!! And she is a stay at home mom and doesn't even do a lot of ebaying. She just shops with the kids and finds great things that sell great on ebay!

How about a yard sale to clean out the attic and make extra money???

You said you are out of work, so do you have time on your hands?? Try starting your own "home" business like cleaning houses and such. You can get free business cards at www.vistaprint.com I raised the money for my airfare by painting numbers of houses on curbs with stencils and reflective paint!! I charged $10 per house and raised the money in only 4 weekends and didn't even get to all the houses around!! My son does it now to raise money for stuff he wants.

My neighbor started cleaning houses around the area every week and raised the money for her surgery in just 6 months. She also began a babysitting service for preschoolers and kinder care in which she will babysit for the "early bird" workers and get the kids to school. They start dropping kids off around 3:30 am and she puts them back to bed and wakes them up at 7am to feed Breakfast and drive them to school. A LOT of people have to be to work early or have a long commute that requires them to leave early. It is super hard to find day care that early so she makes really good money!

Another idea is to start clipping coupons for groceries. Most grocery receipts will tell you how much you saved. Take that amount and put it in a savings account.

Depending on the value of your car, you may be able to put the car up as collateral for a small personal loan (may not cover it all, but it would work with another option your trying)

Hope some of these ideas start getting you creative! you can do it if you want to!!! GOOD LUCK

There are many things I am thankful for in my life to the gods that be...

I am thankful for a healthy happy family. I am thankful for success and stability in my life. I am thankful I have a healthy happy and well adjusted pre teen child. I am thankful to be reclaiming my self esteem slowly through my weight loss surgery. I am thankful I have a happy band.

So many other things that I am thankful for year round that I don't always recognize or appreciate. I am thankful I can walk, I can see, I can hear, I can talk, I can think clearly, I can sleep, I can I can I can......etc.

I am thankful for the freedom that this country provides. I am thankful for those that fight for that freedom and am thankful for their families that support them and love them when they are away for the holidays.

And, I am thankful for my friends and my friends at LBT!

Not for all the Twinkies in Hostesstown!! You couldn't pull push or drag me out of the house. The day after Thanksgiving is my cleaning day. Full house cleaning!

I do have to say that I have noticed this. And to be honest, I am scared shitless! I am not at a point where I could be at peace. Losing my band would devastate me. I would lose it completely right now. But I am scared, scared, scared!!!!!!!!!

Anyone got a good recipe for cookie frosting??? The kind that isn't hard as a rock or a glaze but isn't all over the place? A nice thin frosting that will harden only a little. Anyone???

A diabetic safe frosting would be terrific as most people I work with are diabetics. But for ME, I want the whole juicy recipe.

I think it is great that you have decided on a weight loss option! Congratulations. But I definitely do NOT think you should leave LBT. You can be our bypass baby!!! There are plenty of people in the research phase that wonder about ALL options as you did. Plus, we are a weight loss support group. I don't think anyone would kick you to the curb because you are going to blow us all away in the weight loss quickly area. hee hee hee.

Please stay, contribute, share and join in our group hugs!