Maggie63

i am scheduled for breast reduction surgery on the 10th of april and am starting to have second thoughts!!! i am very saggy, and need something done...but i am afraid the doc will go too small. i am a 40 DD now, and would like to be a small D after the surgery. do you know if this is possible or does the doc have to take out a minimum for insurance to pay? i will let you all know how it goes. for those of you who had it done, is the pain bad (be honest) : )

i had a fill about 45 days ago, and it was great!! i notice now, i can eat more than i could when i first got it. is this normal? i am making an appoinmnet for another when i get back home!!!

although i am a single woman with no children...I LOVE THIS THREAD. there are a few reasons. first, my parents put my on a diet when i was in elementary school. i remEmeber sitting in the cafeteria with a clear plastic baggie with one hard boiled egg and 2 peices of celery for lunch (they really meant well, but that was not cool)!! all the other kids (and i mean ALL) haD lunches from school. i remember being SO embarrassed, even at that young age, and it DID NOT HELP!!!! secondly, i have dear girlfriends who have what i would consider morbidly obese children. we talk about issues and i can see the despair on their faces. i am going to pass some of your tips on to them.....they will love to hear how others are keeping their kids healthy. you are all great moms!!!

congrats....keep up the great work!! : )

Skye- I am overwhelmed. It is amazing how quickly our lifes can change. Thanks for letting us know what is going on in your life. My prayers will be with you and your family. Stay strong!!

lianna- congratualtions!! that is so awesome!! you are the best!! i can't wait tot get there!!!!

ditto what everyone else said. we have all been there and this too shall pass..... i only told a few people about my surgery (family and two friends) and i STILL feel under a microscrope. on some level you need to just let that go. if someone asks you about weightloss, tell them you feel great and walk away or change the subject. i had to tell my sis and mom to back off cause they were driving me crazy!! a few weeks back i told my mom that i had lost another pound, and she actually said "well i think i would be depressed if i were you"....ahhhhhh....she is just concerned about me but that cut through me like a knife. no more talking about my weight loss with my family....if they ask sometimes I just say "not talking about that today...next subject" : ) best of luck....you are doing great!!!!

have not checked in lately....... started at 255...currently 230... -25 YEA!!!

every story is different. i was not put on a pre-op diet. of course i followed my doc's instructions for the month after surgery to a t. i did not deviate at all. this is important for healing and for weight loss. i agree with the best me...THIS IS A TOOL NOT A CURE ALL. i still have head cravings even when i am not hungry at all. don't think the band will take all your food issues away because you will be disapointed. there are many folks i have met here that have lost very little weight due to different circumstances. with that said, i am so happy i did this for myself. i have not felt this good in years!! good luck the "soon to be banded!!!"

i have breast reduction surgery scheduled for april. my sis had it done 3 years ago. she lost most of the sensation in her nipples (i am not happy abou that)!! i talked at length to my doc about that...he said that i will probably get most of my sensation back due to the way he attaches everything back together....i am hopeful!!! i will let you all know how it goes!! m

nykee- just want to say i have been where you are and think you are so brave for not hiding and putting your food issues right out there. i will pray for your continued success!!! 80 lbs in one year is awesome : )

paula-how could you do that to me (lol) some of those pictures are hideous.....i would be sick if they made mine look worse rather than better. i look a bit like #105 or #110 (not quite that bad) now, so i really need to do something. even when i was thin my breasts were saggy. it has caused me many problems over my life. yea jess...we can support one another!! i do not like going under again...the loss of control makes me very bery uncomfortable!! thanks for all your great advice guys. i did make my surgeon show me before and after pics of his work....they looked great (but who knows if he got them off the interent or what) : ) i will let you know what i decide to do....(okay, i can't get some of the those pics out of my mind...paula i am calling you if i can't sleep tonight : ) hehe

i am thinking of getting a breast reduction. i used to be a 42 DDD. i am now around a 40DD. although i want my breasts smaller, i do not want them too small. a friend had it done and now her belly actally sticks out a bit more than her breasts. my question is: have you had a breast reduction? are you happy with the results? will the doc work with you on # of cc's removed? thanks all!!

so happy to hear your good news.....i will be thinking about you : )

i weighed myself when i got home from my surgery and had gained 7 lbs from that morning...i am sure it was the Fluid from the IV...within a few days it ws gone....but check with your doc to be sure good luck jonathan!

thanks for the birthday greeting photonut!! i had a really great day yesterday...the crew at work got me flowers and a birthday cake and sang happy birthday....then went down to the bar last night for a glass of wine (i am staying in a hotel while in baton rouge LA) it was a really wonderful day : ) everyone is doing great...you are all an inspiratation! thanks again!!

glad everything went well....feel good soon...we are all thinking about you : )

thanks for all of your stories....i am out of town right now till the end of march, but my doc office called and said they could schedule for surgery for april 3rd....i have already been approved by the insurance company. i think i need a bit of time to think about this.....i did not think it would be approved so quickly!!! thanks again for all your stories...i will probably have more questions later : )

thanks all for your kind words. assisting with the victims of the hurricane is very difficult work but so rewarding!!! : ) it has changed my outlook on life!!! i am going to have to check out the way you guys documnet your weight so i can join in...off to the showers...off to another lonnng day : )

Hi all. I have been reading this thread for a few days now and thought I would come in and say hello. I am a 42 year old woman (43 tomorrow) who has struggled with weight loss my entire life. I was a chubby kid, and never really learned to eat healthy. I can remember losing tons of weight in high school by starving myself. I lived on tab and celery. My first year of college I gained the freshman 15, and then lost and maintained a reasonable weight although at the time felt like I was huge (size 10). After college I moved around quite a bit finding a "career" and was able top maintain my weight until I hit about 35. I think I was tired of starving myself. I just started to eat...and eat...and eat. Before I knew it I was up to 260 and was not able to lose the weight. I did not want to go the surgery route, so I went to a place called Structure House for 30 days to "teach" me how to eat again. It cost me a bundle and I lost 35 lbs, but did not keep it off (how depresssing). I did get motivated and went down to 200 about a year later. I work for the department of defense, and at that time they sent me to Iraq for 7 months to support the effort there. I lost some additional weight there and felt great. I was home a little less than a year and had gained every pound back....plus some (285) .....I still don't understand how that happened. It was then I decided to try weightloss surgery. I was not into RNY because of the compliciatons. I had never heard of lap band, but after some intensive research decided that was for me. I am currenlty in Baton Rouge, LA supporting the Katrina Relief effort here. Although I have done well with my weight loss since the surgery....I am struggling now becuase of the pressure of my current job. We work 12 hour days 7 days a week trying to get victums into temporary housing units paid for my FEMA. I have to keep myself motiviated every day to stay on track (although the fill I got right before I came here has done wonders). Just wanted to tell my story and say that for the first time in a long time, I feel like I am in control of my weight and that I will be able to be successful...thank goodness for my band : ) Thanks for listening all! : ) (H-highest weight, S-weight at surgery, J-weight when joined this club, G-goal weight, C-current weight)

i sang all day long after surgery.....i was so happy. if you do it for a living, there may be some problems. talk to your doc good luck!

congratulations!!!! can't wait to get there!

after my first fill, i could eat an entire burrito and chips/salsa from my local mexican restaruant... after my second fill, i am down to between 3/4-1 cup of food at a time or I feel very uncomfortable it is perfect cause i am eating enough to stay nourished but losing consistantly. tell your hubby if it was as easy as just counting calories we would have all done it a long time ago.....this is a the struggle of a lifetime : ) good luck!!!

i was back to work within a week feeling great. after 3 weeks i was at about 100%, i would have had no problems getting on a plane or traveling long distances. welcome, and good luck on your journey! lots of good info here!

i told my brother, sister parents and 2 close friends (one had had bypass). no one else. i hear people talking about others at work (gosh-she has gained alot of weight), or other rude comments and i just didn't want to hear it if for some reason this did not work for me...gosh, this weight stuff is hard enough as it is without my entire office watching me i may one day decide to share my story because it could help others. people have noticed me eating less and my weight loss and i just say thank you. if they try to push it i tell them i am on my way somewhere or excuse myself. there are a few people in particular that try to get it out of me, one actually asked if i had bypass surgery. those types of people are not my real friends. they just want some juicy gossip to pass around. there are a few really wonderful people at the office that i may share with because i know how they are struggling and i want to help. i believe it is private info...if you want to tell the world, go for it!!! if you choose not to, that is okay too. when i hit goal i may call oprah and shout it from the mountian tops. i doubt anyone will mind i did not share with them first : )