Turler

Hello everyone...I am being banded on April 10th. I am so excited! Seems like it's been forever to get to the countdown, but I think it'll be here before we know it! Anyone else scheduled in April? We need to come up with a group name! Carol

Hello everyone! It's been quite some time. This thread is pretty much dead. But if any of you are still around, I thought I'd share... My second LapBand placed in Feb 2009 became disconnected!! I mean really?? How many LapBands should one girl have to mess with? LOL....so, I started gaining weight pretty fast and had to bicker quite a bit with the insurance company. But ultimately I was approved to have the Band removed and get the Vertical Sleeve. I had surgery almost 2 weeks ago and so glad it's over. I am so frustrated with the weight gain, but so glad that there won't be any more fills/unfills or getting stuck!! I'm on the mend and tired of mushies....for the third time! hahaha I hope all is going well for the rest of you!!! Best to all, Carol

Dear sweet long lost sis!!! I can't seem to figure out how to respond to the other message you sent me!! I miss you and am so glad you came back!!! Send me a private message so we can catch up! ~C

Sounds like you all are doing pretty darn good! I got off to a good start and have lost 10 lbs, but have stalled this week. I need to drink more water!!!! That was key before, it is key now. I need to get back to basics and remember all the tips. Ok...I will start....DRINK WATER! :rolleyes: Anyone want to tack on some helpful hints????

Ok!!! Hi Everyone! I will stop by too as I have gotten into a slump. It took personal tragedies this past year and a half to realize that my band will work if I just let it!! I spent so much time trying to "figure" it out. Turns out, there is no science to it. Just to my brain! I just have to slow down. I find that my brain catches up easier when I do that. For a while, the weight just melted off. I felt so good! Then I gained about 17-25 pounds back after some of the major stressors calmed down. I found that I was right back to the same bad rut. So I too am at a place where I need to get back on track. I loved how I looked 25 lbs ago. I can't believe the difference that only that small amount of weight can make!!! I thought 100 lbs was bad!!! LOL I won't be able to wear any summer clothes if I don't get this off, so I need to get busy. I need motivation too! My ticker needs adjusted, but I'm not gonna change it!! I will be back down that 25! Let's go back to supporting each other like we did before. So many of us ARE success stories

Hello out there!! I haven't been here for so long! I hope everyone is well and happy! I miss you all!

Hello everyone! Never thought I would be considered an 'old timer' LOL! I haven't been on here in so long! This was a good time to get back to say hi. I am doing fine. Have gained and lost the same last 20 pounds a few times, but overall, I can live with that! It could be much worse that's for sure! There are times that I come across an item of clothing still hanging around from before the Band. It simply amazes me how far I've come! I've had my share of troubles with the Band, but I don't regret a single thing. I still have work to do...never did make it all the way to goal, but darn close!! I will get there some day, I'm being lazy. Hope all of you are doing well!!! ~Carol

WOW! I can't believe someone posted! It's been so long. I hope everyone is well. I have checked here often and assumed that everyone is off living their new lives. I hope it's been happy and successful. Happy Holidays everyone!

I want to share my unique journey... I was diagnosed with insulin resistance by my GYN doctor. After several failed diets and workout programs, she suggested I go to the Bariatric clinic to see if they had some other options for me. At first I was so hurt that I was viewed as "big" enough to need Bariatrics. I actually had already met the surgeon as I am a nurse and worked with him regularly. I agreed to see him as a patient. We met in his office where he explained my options: Optifast, RNY and LapBand. I barely qualified at that time for the surgeries and couldn't see myself living on a liquid diet so I sort of nixed the idea all together. I was already familiar with RNY patients and knew that was not an option for me. I had heard of LapBand, but not met any patients yet with one but thought it was worth looking into. I started the 6 month required diet and visits with the nutritionist and all the other ancillary staff necessary to make these things happen. He wanted to go ahead with the initial testing such as labs and an EGD (upper endoscopy). I agreed and scheduled my test a few months later on November 8, 2006. The procedure went off without a hitch. Apparently I needed a hefty dose of sedation medication as I kept trying to push the surgeon out of the way so I could see the monitor!! I returned to work the next day. I felt great, was becoming excited about my decision to get the LapBand. The following day, my surgeon told me we had to repeat the EGD because there was a problem. Problem? What kind of problem? He said, "it appears as though you have cancer". Cancer??? What?? What do you mean? I thought he was looking for H. Pylori like all the other patients!! He said, "the cells came back as Lymphoma and it's very rare and we must do the test again to be sure". I was 35 years old. I didn't hear anything else he may have said to me after that. I simply nodded my head and thanked him for his visit and agreed to see him the next day to repeat the scope. As before, the test was easy. I was in a daze and felt like my head was spinning. The lab confirmed the cells were lymphoma very quickly that day, but decided to forward them on to a medical college and from there they were sent to the Mayo Clinic. I was diagnosed with MALT Lymphoma. It's an unusual form of Lymphoma that rarely affects women and is usually found when a person is in their 60's-70's. It is normally associated with H. Pylori, but I tested negative on three different tests. I was immediately sent to an oncologist that gave me a list of treatment options -radiation, chemo and partial/total gastrectomy! I got a second and a third opinion as the treatment options for this kind of cancer are not agreed upon by all onocologists. I wanted someone who dealt with it often enough to give me the best outcome possible. Ultimately, it was decided that I'd receive chemotherapy but not radiation at this point (I was too young--would wait and see if chemo worked). I was treated for the H. Pylori anyway, just in case it was there and just not showing up on the tests. The doctors said I most likely had it at some point. I was given a port (a "permanent" IV) to receive my chemo once weekly. I started chemo in January of 2007 and finished at the end of March. In the mean time, all of my weight loss efforts stopped. I did not lose any weight with my chemo (I got to have a very specific kind that only attacked my cancer cells, not the rest of my body), and I didn't lose my hair. I was very tired and my hair thinned, but I was able to continue working (barely--I needed to save my FMLA in case I had to change to anothe chemo that would keep me from working). It was brutal and I was so scared. Mostly for my children and my husband. In August of 2007, I asked if we could resume the Quest for the LapBand and after much deliberating amongst my two oncologists, GYN, PCP, Endocrinologist and my Bariatric surgeon they agreed. They all agreed that because my cancer attacked at such a young age and we are finally under control (with caution), that it is in my best interest to lose weight and get healthy. I restarted the entire program with many more doctors on board this time. Since my initial appointment, I'd gained approximately 40 more pounds and was feeling pretty bad about the unfortunate turn of events in my life. I went through all the emotions and fear as you'd expect and to this day not sure that I will ever be the same person that I was before. Cancer changes you forever. I needed to have this surgery. I am definitely never a candidate for the RNY now and the doctors all agreed that this option (Lap Band) would be the most benefical without interfering with any future tests or maintainence chemotherapy. It is unknown whether this particular kind of cancer "could" be related to obesity, but because the band is adjustable, they feel that if my cancer comes back or I need a different treatment, they can work with that. My own school of thought is that had I not been obese, I wouldn't have developed GERD which gave me an ersoion that allowed bacteria in that turned to cancer. Hmmmph. Who knows. I just know that to receive the LapBand is truely a life saving measure for me. I realize that it is the same for so many of you that have other health conditions that could eventually cause death. I just wanted to share my story with you. I just got another EGD 2 weeks ago and this one is the first one to come back without cancer cells!!!! I am so relieved to be going into this surgery "healthy". I am looking forward to a new start in life like so many of you. Had I never been referred to the Bariatric clinic, they might never have found my cancer so early (I had NO symptoms). I see this as a strange kind of blessing that I went through all of this never knowing it would literally save my life. So you see, getting banded is my reconstruction, my new beginning, my GIFT! Just as a breast cancer survivor gets her new breast I get my band on April 10th 2008. ~Carol

Hi Gang! Boy, this thread all but died! I would love to have plastics too, but there is no way I could afford it! I will be at 85 years old before I will have saved enough! LOL How is everyone? I miss having you all for support. I'm progressing though. Slowly, but surely. Take care everyone ~Carol

Wow...nice to see some activity here. I am doing okay. Not losing, but not gaining. Just stuck. Don't like my new band. It's broken or something. I have had it since the beginning of Feb, and I haven't lost anything!! Oh...and it's completely full. So there you have it. I'm glad to hear you all are doing well! ~C

Great job sweetie!

Hello? I hope all is well with everyone! Miss you guys. :tongue: ~C

Hi Everyone! Wow...I hate how quiet this thread has become. I miss all of you. I stop by everyday, but don't normally have time to post. I am STILL NOT LOSING!!!! I am frustrated beyond belief. I hope something changes soon. I am thinking maybe this change needs to come from within????? Hmmmmm. I am so achy and tired. Just like before surgery. I am getting my butt in gear today and going to the gym. My DH is designing a workout for me that focuses more on weights than cardio. I am not motivated by the results that all that cardio gets, and am thinking I might benefit more from weight training...you know, muscle burns fat, blah blah blah. So we'll see. He rarely does cardio, but lifts and loses weight. Maybe he's on to something. I tell him all the time he's gonna look HOT in his casket! LOL His muscles will look great and his heart will be dead! Guess I'm gonna join him, cuz I want to look good too. Maybe I'll do cardio after I lose weight! Am I rambling? LOL...hope you all have a great weekend! ~C

Hi Yvonne, I had pain with my slip, but I thought it was a virus because I had vomiting too. It took me a few days of misery to finally get it checked out. My throat was burning and my stomach ached so bad. Each time I attempted to eat, I'd vomit. Could only take tiny sips. It never got better so I decided it wasn't a virus after all and had to be checked via EGD and Radiology. Went to surgery a shortly after that. Ironically, things were going well for me with weight loss. I'd had some ups and downs, but was losing. I haven't lost at all since I got my new band in Feb. I'm so disappointed, but I refuse to give up. I know it takes time to adjust the fills and this band is huge!!! I am hoping for another fill very soon. Maybe you need a fill? You could also try logging your food again. It can really open your eyes to your habits. If you think you had a slip, you should contact your doctor and talk to him/her about your symptoms. I'm sorry you can't exercise. It does help. Not so much with the actual losing part (in my opinion), but more for the prevention of gaining weight. You can eat a little more calories and not gain. I didn't find that I lost any more with the exercise, but I sure did feel better. I am back in the gym this month, but have only gone 4 times!!!!!! lol But hey, it's a (re)start! ~C

Welcome back Gwen!! Sorry you had such a bad time. Family gatherings should be about great memories, but often they involve much drama and added stress. I'm glad you're home though and will be back on track in no time. One thing is for sure, YOU can do it! I'm doing okay, still not losing, but am tighter than before. I am still a bit hungry, but not like I was. I definitely think there is progress, but I still don't feel like I did. Maybe the new band is just different? I don't know. So far, nothing is the same. I don't feel full the same way, not sure when to stop, etc. I will get the hang of, but it's getting tiresome. Have a great day! ~C

Hi everyone! Boy has this thread been quiet!!!!! Don't give up is the best thing I can offer at this time! I know you're disgusted, but it WILL get better. You already know what to do, and how to do it...you CAN do it! It gets discouraging, but you have already proven that you are in control. Stay strong! ~C

LOL Too funny you guys!! Yes, I am used to the noises, but not everyone else is!! Gets weird in quiet rooms...hahahaha I do think this fill is working so far. I am ALWAYS the "hungry one". Well today, my lunch buddies had to come find me an hour after our "usual" time cuz I hadn't come after them to go eat yet!!! LOL Do you think it's working??? Oh Lord I hope so! ~C

Well kids, I got a fill yesterday! I can tell a big difference already. I really hope this is the one that gets me back on track. I notice it most when I drink (I actually have to slow down and sip) and now there is all that "wind-tunnel" noise when I eat! Sounds like a good fill, eh? LOL Only the scale will tell...not sure yet, but I hope this curbs my hunger to go with it. I'm feeling optimistic and can't wait to get this ball rolling!!!! Woot Woot! Kiddr- I am so glad you came back here. This is where we get the support we need. We can bounce ideas and vent and stomp our feet and bang our fists here. I've been through quite a bit, but it's because of this thread that I've been able to stay encouraged. Everyone here is great and we are here for you if you want to hang around! Welcome back...you CAN do this! ~C

Gwenn, I'm with you. I am trying to do the Facebook thing, but like you, I just don't get it. I don't understand why people post random thoughts. I think Twitter is the same way. I can see how it could be cool to re-connect with old, long lost friends, but I don't understand why every thing you say/type has to be public for everyone to see. I like it here too. I don't know where everyone went or why. I think we have more freedom here to discuss our personal issues and struggles. I don't want the whole world to know about my band anyway. ~C :smile:

Tracy- Hang in there sweetie. I'm sorry about your hard times this year. You are doing great, and take it from me...it's better for you to get a little out of the band and be safe, then to keep losing and end up with trouble! You are gonna have a great year!!!! :thumbdown: ~C

Oh...yes, I'm sure it won't be long before I'm complaining about how tight the band is, and how I can't eat!!!! LOLOL I still hope my appointment goes well and I get some restriction. I'm feeling hopeful. Gwenn...I'm sorry you were lonely last week! I will try to visit as much as I can. Of course, now that I will have a little time this week, you will be out of town! ~C

Juli, I'm so happy for you and your cutie little pants! Your weight loss ticker is amazing and I can't imagine how awesome you must feel! Enjoy this new life you've made for yourself. You've earned it! ~C

Hi girls! Hope everyone is doing well. This thread has been WAAAAYYYY too quiet! I know we are busy though, so I understand. I am off school this week (only one day), but so darn glad! I need the little break. I am starting another term next week and Lord have mercy, it just keeps getting more involved. Too much darn homework, papers and books/chapters to read. Only 18 more weeks though! YAY!!! Then I'll be graduated and on to the next degree. I am seeing the doctor on Tuesday. I am very glad for this and can't wait to get another fill. I really, really need some restriction. I'm a wild woman! LOL Hopefully I will get some self-control out of this and start losing again. I truly need to go to the gym...my body is stiff and sore like I used to be. I need a swift kick in the ass. That's for sure. I miss you all..... ~C

Hi Gwenn and Cub! Sorry, I fell off the board for a few days too! Thanks so much for your encouragement. I am trying to hang in there, but getting awfully discouraged. Especially since my pants are so tight! LOL I've decided I need to re-focus and drink lots of water. I will start there and address each issue as they become apparent to me! Plugging away. AGAIN!!!! You guys rock. ~C