cathychatts

Several people have suggested a place to post on a regular basis to save time going from one thread to another! I thought this would be a good title. Like reading the daily newspaper! We are all banded now, and I will still update the line up when new people discover this site. I look forward to hearing from everyone as we transform!

Hi Junies! Good to see you Allie! Your pics look great! I did have my band removed and converted to bypass on Nov 22nd of 2011! I have been GREAT since then! My band had started to slip and I wasn't loosing any weight, plus the port hurt all the time! I am smaller now, after 3 months with the bypass than the entire 3 years with the band! From what I understand, many people with the band are having problems like mine... and are converting. My insurance paid the entire conversion. That was really a lucky thing

Hi June Bugs! It has been a long time and I hope you are all doing well, I have had some complications with my band. It has slipped! I am scheduled to have it removed the 22nd. I am going to have a RNY Bypass done at the same time. I will always be a Junie though!

Hello all you wonderful People! I am still alive and kicking! I haven't been on this site in a very long time, but your messages began to pop up in my IN-box! I am so glad. It is very good to hear from all of you and see your progress. I am about the same as I was after the 2nd year. I have had some complications, seems the band made my reflux bad and it backed up into my sphenoid sinuses. I had surgery twice last year and they are sending me to Vanderbilt next month to see a specialist there. It is a rare case and not certain that the band had anything to do with it, but I did have to have the fill taken out of my band. I still have a little restriction, but not much. I have worked hard and watch what I eat and go to the gym 3 days a week. I am happy where I am... not to bad for an old lady! I am still single and dating and having fun. I hope they don't tell me to have my band removed, but it is a strong possibility! If they do I am going to ask if I can have the gastric sleeve, but I don't think I will qualify at my lower BMI. Oh well! Life is Good! Take care and I want to tell all of you how important you were in my journey to Band-Land! Love you all! cathychatts!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! Mine was awesome!

Hey Junebugs! Well, the old "flu" bug caught up with me. I had my regular flu shot, but not the H1N1... my doc says I have a virus, not the flu. Oh well, it is crappy I have coughed until my sides hurt! Teach: about where to meet men, after high school one must make a real effort to meet the opposite sex... the chance of meeting someone is slim at any rate. You have to let people know you are interested.... ask your friends to keep their eyes open and don't overlook the internet dating sites.... but be careful! Always goodle the people... if anything seems off... then move on... always meet in public places and get to know as much a possible.. the people on those sites are about the same as they are on here... some nice and honest... some not nice... you just have to be very picky. The main thing is to be honest about what you want and don't compromise your values. Well, gotta go... take care!

Wow! Ladies! You look GREAT! Yes, I have been MIA! Seems time flies and teaching both day and night classes gets in the way! I have been doing Great! I am on the losing side again of my band now that they are filling it again. I will try to update my ticker. Someone asked about my dating...:frown:! Well, I am having a BALL! Several very nice guys.... and a new one has come onto the scene... he may be the cream of the crop! :frown: Allie, I am so proud of you! You are young and strong! Go get em Girl! Apples and Great! Lookin' Good... I would come to about your waists! I am only 5'1" I will try to keep up"! I love all you June Bugs!

Hello all my dear June bugs! I have been A-W-O-L for awhile. So sorry! I have no excuses! I am doing well and am so excited for all your successes! I have been slow in my loss, but I am kind of like the turtle...slow and steady. I have been walking 4 miles per day for the past 8 weeks and can see a significant difference! Allie: I see you on face book a lot and I am so proud of you! I will keep your safety in my prayers during your coming surgery! Apples! Always good to see you.... you’re a doll baby! so cute! Hunzi: I understand about the same 4 lbs... I did that too until I put in the exercise on a daily basis. This 60 year old body doesn’t want to turn loose of that padding! but it is coming off now! I had to have an un-fill at Easter and my band has not worked at all until this fill I got 2 weeks ago. I got stressed and a nurse practitioner took all the fill out and then put it back very, very slowly. .... but I know it is still working! yeah!!!!! Angelyco, Lucy, Great, and vzghy so good to see you are all doing so well! I will try to check back more often and post some new pictures! Love to you all!:tongue2::wub:

Happy Bandiversary to Me! What a good year! to see the scale go down...not up! Many of my friends and family have done the opposite To all my June Bugs! Happy Birthday! This has been a very happy year! And the next year will be great also! Thanks to all of you for being such wonderful support! Keep in touch!

Hello JuneBugs! I have been doing well! Hope all of you have also! I went and got a fill on Wednesday and it is helping. As I have posted before, I am a very slow loser! But I am on the way down. I am quite happy with my loss and very happy that my skin is keeping up with the weight loss! At my age, we don't want tht skin! I have been busy with Farmtown...LOL Allie and I are neighbors so we chat a little everyday. We both have nice, big farms! LOL Apples doesn't have a thing on us! We even get to hire farm hands... but we don't have to feed them! It is really fun.... kinda addictive. vzyhj, I too plan my crops so they don't waste before I can get to them....LOL... grapes are a b***h! Well, I am going to get moving this Saturday morning...oh! I have dug my golf clubs out of mothballs and having a ball! Lapband!!! I love you!

Hi Everyone! I have been reading some, but to be honest I have gotten hooked on a game on facebook called Farmtown! Allie is my Farmtown neighbor! Apples, it is your real life story! You farm and plant and harvest and plant again! Silly, but it is addictive! I am doing ok, haven't really lost, but i had to have an UnFill on good Friday! I was so SICK! My band tightened up and I couldn't even swallow! I was loosing weight like crazy... but I also was so afraid I would blow my stomach out! It was awful! They took the fill out and said I had to let my stomach rest> I go next wednesday to begin my fills again. I still have some restriction and feel so much better. It was most likely caused by the stress of all my re-modeling of the house and kitchen! That nearly sent me over the edge! I will look at my ticker and see if I can update it! I have lost about 45 lbs this year! That is GREAT! I feel like a new woman! Hope to hear from all of you again! Love my JuneBugs! OH and welcome Luckyfive! I think I got a PM from you and you live close to me!

Busy getting grades ready, tomorrow is the end of our semester. Graduation is tonight, I get a week off!!!!! I hope to finish up some things at the house. I vow not to start another remodel project any time soon. I found 2 four-leaf-clovers yesterday! Lucky Me!!!!! Hope you have a great day! Talk soon!

Hi Folks! Susan, it is so good to see you! I hope you are feeling better! Allie: I, too, love your attitude! You will always be a winner, because you look at what you have and not what you are missing! Apples: I love you! Your pics were great! Kinda like I imagined. Very pretty! both before and after! Long: your so sweet! Always there to cheer everyone on! I am doing good! I will be glad when I get to put fill back in my band! I am hungry most of the time now, but I am doing good. Just takes more willpower, I do still have some! not much though! I hope everyone is feeling good and if your just haning out reading! We would love to hear from you!

Lucy: I didn't mean to leave you out of my post! It is good to see you with such a great outlook! Yes, we are all lovin' life!

Hello June-Bugs! I bet you think I went AWOL! I have been reading an I am so very proud of everyone! I am doing well and loosing, slow but sure! Where have I been! Well, I got another 'wild-hair" and completely gutted my kitchen, knocked out two walls and after 8 weeks of dust and stress I have a new kitchen! I love it! If you remember I have also redone the living room, two bedrooms and a bath since I had surgery! A new me and a new house! I did have some trouble with my band, stress and an overfill caused me a great deal of reflux:scared2: and I had to have 2 cc removed from my band! That was on Good Friday and I can sure tell! However, I could have never survived the way I was. I couldn't swallow my own spit! It was a night mare! I called the doctor's office and they took me right in. Ihad immediate relief. Now I have to wait until May 13 to begin getting fills again. :eek: I haven't lost near as much as many of you, but I am very happy with my loss so far! I am down to a size 12 petite (only 5'2") and a Medium top! My shoes flop off my feet and my watch and rings are too big! That is so wonderful!!!!! My closet is on the last round of old clothes! After the 12s and a few 10s I will have to shop! Apples: I appreciate you asking about me! No, didn't run off with the old boy-friend, but we did go to the Bristol races! What a hoot! He lives in Alabama now and comes to Tennessee about every other month! I am now seeing an old friend from College too, he lives about 3 hours away and a guy from Kentucky! LOL How fun! I feel like a school girl again! :wub: Long and Allie: you are both so skinny! I love the pics! :smile: Strike! You look like a youngster! Beautiful! I am so happy you have a new job! I know this has been a very hard year for you! :tt2: vzghj, teach, and addy! Your looking good! So supportive of each other! I love it!:wub: Hunzi! I am so glad you back in band-land again! I hope you continue to do well!:wub: I will try to stay vocal again! I sometimes just get quiet! LOL I am on facebook and have pics of myself and the kitchen if you ask to be my friend! :eek: OH: Apples! email me pics. The email is cathychatts@yahoo.com Love you all! Cathy I will update my ticker....if I can remember how! :wub:

You certainly are in my prayers!

Hi Everyone: Sorry It has been so long since I have posted. I have read some of the thread, but not all. I have been busy! I decided to do my part for the economy and put some people to work. :thumbup:! I am redoing my kitchen! I had it completely gutted and starting from scratch! They have been at it for 2 weeks now and it is coming along good! It will be so nice! Allie: I went to Sears and ordered a convection oven with a warming drawer and a solid surface cook top! I am also going to get a french door refrigerator and granite counter tops! I am so excited! OH and happy birthday to you! I had my 60th birthday last week!!!!! :thumbup: I cannot believe it! The kitchen is to celebrate that milestone! :tt2: I am very happy to have this birthday! I say I am like fine wine! I get better with age! I would have enjoyed being at goal on this birthday, but I figure I can reach it when my little body is ready! I am only 5'1" and wear a size 6.5 shoe. I am down in some sized 12 Petite clothes so I am happy! Congrats to Long on reaching onederland! You have done awesome! Apples, glad to hear you are back home, but I know you enjoyed your trip! You seem to have such an interesting life! Allie, you are just a little social butterfly too! And all the contest you win! You have a lucky charm! Addy, Lucy and Armywife You all seem to be doing great! And it is so good to have everyone posting! Strike! You must be part nomad! You have moved so much! Sometimes I daydream of packing up and just moving to a whole new place and re-create my life! Since I am single I guess I could, now that my kids are grown, but I would miss the grandbabies! Livin! hope all is well and thanks for checking on me! Snuffy! where are you? Huntz: Hope you are well and will get your surgery soon! There are a bunch of junebugs that haven't checked in for awhile! We would love to hear from you! Gotta go! I still have a class full of students! Later

Wow! Long! You sure have had a change! you look GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love before and after pics!!!!! HUNZI! It is go good to see you back! Congrats on the approval! I remember your troubles and it so good you are ready to get back on the band-wagon! I say go for it, things will work themselves out! Greyhoundmom, good luck on the test. I hope they get you straight soon! I thought I had and over fill at my last fill, but it is much better now a week later. addy, I drink a cup of coffee too....I wonder... Katies: 86 lbs is wonderful... Where is Apples and Strike? and all the other June bugs for that matter? Have a great day everyone!

addy: I have the Realize band and I think they are all the same size. I think my band will hold 9cc and I have 7.6cc now. I read that the type of band I have is softer so it takes more fill to restrict. The good part of my band is is has less chance of slippage and a lower profile port. Hope this info helps. This is the first fill I have ever really felt restriction. The others I only felt it if I ate too fast. Now I really feel full for a long time. I also get full really quick!

Allie, I voted too. Hope you win. Hope ou all had a good day. I had a good day and am getting used to all this restriction. I have really had to follow the band rules. Now i really know I have a band! Thanks for all the good wishes on my dating....giggle... I feel like a a kid again! It is fun though. Have a great day!

Hey everybody! I am here! Strike, I think you and I must be about the same but you have lost more than me. My doc says the Realize band takes a bit longer and more fill than the Lapband. But he is happy with me and that makes me happy. Sorry I have been gone so long. I have been busy at work and :cursing: dating!!!!! More than one! LOL Who would have thunk it? :tt1: I have been suffering since Friday though.... I went to the doctor and he gave me another .6cc of fill and I am almost too full now, but I finally really know what restrictioin feels like! I have been stuck two times and it is awful! But I am determined to keep this fill! Congrats to all of you reaching 100 lbs! That is wonderful! From everthing I read, it is the exercise that really kicks in the weight loss! I gotta do better! Apples, I hope you are having a fun time on your vacation! I have been invited to the beach in March! Yep, the date!!!!! I think I will go! Then this guy wants to take me to the Food City 500 race in Bristol, Va the end of March! Things are lookin up for this old chick!:tt2:

Hi Junebugs::cool: I know all of you have been sitting on the edge of your seats wondering about my date!.... Drum roll Please......:eek: It was GREAT!:wink2: We went to a seafood place and I had orange roughy. I didn't pb or get stuck! Thank goodness! :thumbup: He was great and charming! :wub: And he has called twice today. :eek: Thanks for all the good wishes! Addy, I agree that taking out the fill doesn't make much sense... I hope it gets better for you soon. Huggie I am so glad to see you here again! :wink: lucy, I am not a jogger either... my knees are too bad, but I would love it. Have a great night and I will see you all tomorrow!

Hi Junebugs! Back to work yesterday and it is a new term, with new students so I am way busy! I wanted to pop in and say hi! Apples, glad you are feeling better Long, congrats on the weight loss. Wish I could lose as good as you do! Allie, sorry about the pay cut, if you remember we had to take a 10% cut in pay too, I keep telling myself "at lest I still have a job!" It helps a little.... All the rest of you wonderful banders! Hi! I have another fill scheduled the end of the month and need it! Oh, and I have a date tonight! A guy from the past called yesterday out of the blue and will be in my area and is going to take me to dinner! Hope I don't PB! or worse yet, get stuck! LOL Later! the new students need constant supervision!

Hello everyone! Isn't it great to be in 2009! Happy New Year! Over the holidays I have had s o o o o much company! I have had 3 partys! Remember all the re-decorating I did on my house last summer! Well, it came in handy! I did the Christmas decorating to the 9s and now I have to take it all down! It was worth it though! We have had a ball! I have done well with the eating. I know I have had too much sugar though... my weakness... but I have managed to loose about 5 lbs this month, in spite of the holidays. Under normal conditions I would have had 5-10 added to the New Year's resolutions! Yesterday as everyone left my house after my last party, I had packed up the last of the food and sent it home with them! It felt so good! I have dug out the old gym membership papers and have my membership numbers and the schedules so I can go back to the gym! I have a membership at a gym that has 5 gyms in my town. My favorite is women only and they have a pool. So.... it is off to the gym! I also bought a Wii fit for myself for Christmas, I have been so busy that I haven't had much time to use it. That is on my to-do list. We have played with it a bunch at my partys, but only the sports things. All you shopping bugs! I am also a shopper, but I have been so good about that lately! I think it is because I can go to my attic and shop! I have been able to get into the old clothes! I have down to a size 10 petite and I am going to completely exaust those. I have purchased some things, like a pair of jeans and stuff, but I am saving for the final round! When I get to goal I am going to go to Atlanta and have a spree! Apples, have fun on your trip. I am so sorry you won't be coming through Tennessee, but we will meet someday! Long, I hear ya on the bottom heavy stuff, but it is funny... this time I am losing the weight all over and the bottom is coming off! Strike, I love dresses! I agree with Apples, try textured tights, and I think legging are still ok. My moto is if it is cute wear it! Allie: you must still be in Virginia! Hope you had fun! Addy and JennyVA Welcome to the June Bugs! There are over 300 people on here, but most don't post! BUT.... I know you June Bugs are watching!.... :confused: To everyone! Keep up the good work and have a skinny New Year!

Happy New Year!:cool2: I pray all you beautiful and handsome June Bugs will have a healthy and happy year to come!:w00t: One thing is certain! We will all be smaller! and much healthier and happier! I am honored to know you all and look forward to our journey as it continues!:wink2: Love you all! Cathy