cierra'sgrandma

I found this cartoon while surfing the web for various and sundry stuff. I think many banded ones out there will be able to identify with it. I sure did!

Hope this cartoon goes through! I think most will be able to identify wth it!

Administrators, if this isn't the appropriate "spot" in which to discuss the nature of my subject, I whole-heartedly apologize in advance. And PLEASE let me know if I am in error. I just got a good look at Sarah.R's photos in the latest photo albums section, and for some reason, I personally find these pictures offensive, I suppose, because they remind me of what I used to look like, the "before", and what I was headed towards. I didn't take lightly, the decision to have the lap-band surgery. I was tired of being FAT! I was tired of being stared at and made fun of, if not openly, then "behind the hand". At the age of 45, I had yet to experience any medical problems making losing weight an absolute necessity, but I feel they were under the surface, waiting to spring up and bite my butt, so to speak. And it's sad that, for some people, it has to come to losing weight or facing certain debilitating medical problems and/or death. I believe I was headed in that direction. Sarah.R, if you're comfortable in your own skin, if you're comfortable with your weight, more power to you. I'm sorry that, due to medical complications, you HAVE to lose weight. But try to think about the whole new world that could open up to you, once you start losing weight. I pray your husband (I hope I got that right!) supports you in this new endeavor, just as he has expressed his love for you just the way you are. Be strong, whatever you do.

Well, this just shows-to-go-ya, um, goes-to show-ya how much time I've NOT spent on this site! I guess it's one of those duh! kind of things. ANYWAY, I'm glad I found this group. I was banded by Dr. H. on February 6th, 2008. I weighed 310 pounds when I started the two-week liquid diet, and had lost down to 290 on the day of my surgery. I'm not sure if this is the norm or not, but I was pretty pleased with myself. I sort of got used to it, but was glad when I got to the mushies stage! One of the major struggles I had was about two weeks post-op, when we had our annual Valentine's Day banquet at church...catered by Texas Road House! All I could do was sniff the air and drink tea. Ah, but this year...I think I'll have a bit of steak! My last visit to Dr. H was January 6th, and I had lost two pounds, and while Dr. H was pleased with my 76-pound weight loss, he seemed to think I had reached a plateau, and now I'm scheduled to see him on the 27th of this month, and have to present him with a food diary. :scared2: He will be pleased to know that I've started working out at Curves, which is accepting Humana's SilverSneakers program. And, I am ashamed to say, but will admit, that I've never been to a lap-band support group meeting. Why? I just don't know. Hey--I just realized that I am writing quite a lot here, so I will "sign off" for now and come back tomorrow.

I watched an episode of Dr. Phil {or was it Oprah?} a WHILE back--okay, a long time ago--something about cheapskate spouses. One woman was ragging on her husband because he saved empty butter tubs, etc. for storing leftover, etc. And I thought--hey, what's wrong with that? This is the gist of my poll. {Looks like I made some typos in the poll! Sorry about that! Apparently my attention span isn't too great this evening.}

When I was a teen-ager, I used pads. I switched to tampons in my twenties, and continued to use tampons into my forties {I'm y6 yrs. old.}, when I started having to use tampons AND pads at the same time, because my periods were so freaking heavy, as in changing tampons at least every hour. I got home from church one night, got out of the car, and felt something trickling down my leg. I thought, since I had to go to the bathroom so badly that I had started to pee on myself {yuck!}, but that wasn't the case. Yeah, y'all guessed it. It wasn't pee. About three months after that incident, I had a procedure call an endometrial ablation, in which the lining of the uterus is cauterized, or in effect, "burned off". My gynecologist did this procedure in, his office, instead of resorting to a hysterectomy. The recovery time was, for me, very quick. It's definitely not a procedure for women who want to get pregnant. ANYWAY, I haven't had to use a pad or tampon since about a month after that procedure. I still have my ovaries, etc., just not the flow!

Menopause is the absence of menstrual periods for 12 months, and starts with varying menstrual cycle lengths and ends with the final menstrual cycle. This is a very basic explanation of menopause. Perimenopause is a time of transition to actual menopause. There are any number of websites one could go to for more information. I got this from MedicineNet.com. I guess I could say I'm perimenopausal. I'm 46 years old, and on my way! ANYWAY, as for TOMs, I don't have the flow. I had what is called an endometrial ablation done about four years ago. My TOMs were HEAVY, and quite painful. My gynecologist performed this procedure, in which the lining of the uterus is cauterized {or "burned" off}, instead of a hysterectomy. It's not a procedure for anyone wanting to get pregnant. I still have "all the stuff", but I haven't had to buy a feminine hygiene product since about a month after the procedure, and I SO TOTALLY LOVE not having to do so.

Okay, I've got to be honest and say that I didn't have the desire to look through well over 100 pages of questions and responses concerning food issues, so I'm going to ask anyway...Has anyone ever had a problem with eating peanut butter? I have found that while it's not a physician-restricted food, I personally cannot tolerate eating peanut butter. It's like having a plug put right over the stoma. It's a shame, too. I like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches! But then again, in a way, it's a good thing, because peanut butter is SO fattening.

I eat popcorn! It's probably another one of those dietary restrictions my surgeon would be upset about if he knew I didn't/haven't cut out the popcorn! I don't eat it all the time, although I went for quite a while after my surgery before I risked it, and I didn't have any problems.

I've been a "bandita" for almost a year, and I drink sodas, although not with the frequency I once did, and I've not experienced a problem with drinking it. However, I think my surgeon would probably be upset with me if he knew! I do drink a lot of coffee though. Gotta get my caffeine somewhere!

Although I don't just go around introducing myself by saying, "Hi! My name is "cierra'sgrandma" and I had lap-band surgery.", I DO, when asked, tell people about my surgery, and I'm not at all shy to talk about it. Having this surgery was one of the most important decisions I've ever made, and I absolutely don't regret it!:cursing: I've gone from 310 pounds to 236 pounds {so far}. {Banded on February 6th, 2008.} As a matter-of-fact, I'm thinking about designing a t-shirt that says something to the effect, "Ask me about Lap-Band surgery!", and add before and after pictures.

This is for any/all "banditas" out there who has Humana's Medicare-approved HMO, PPO, &/or PFFS plans: Curves has been added to the nationwide SilverSneakers network of participating locations. "Effective January 1, 2009 Humana members may use any participating Curves location AT NO ADDITIONAL COST. For the location nearest you, visit www.silversneakers.com or call 1-866-634-1067, Monday--Friday, 8 a.m. to8 p.m. EST. TTY: 1-800-833-3301, Monday--Sunday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m." {This is the direct quote from the mailing I received this morning, and since I have a Medicare-approved PPO plan through Humana, I thought maybe there are some "banditas" in the U.S.A. who could benefit from this information.}

I was banded on February 6th, 2008. My starting weight--before the two-week liquid diet I had to be on--was 310 lbs. As of this morning, January 6th, 2009, I weigh 236 lbs. And even though my surgeon feels I've hit a plateau, he was rather pleased with the amount of weight I've lost so far. I didn't get a fill today due to problems finding my sweet spot and gallbladder problems. I haven't had any difficulty with the fills, or the three unfills I've had. I know right where my port is, and thank God, there's never been a problem with accessing it. My new goal is aimed at a 100 pound weight loss. Then, I'll move on to the ultimate goal of 135 pounds lost, AND maintained, THEN consider plastic surgery. I've pretty much had enough of the belly hanging over!