Brinabrina77

Hello everyone: So there is no question about it. i am truly banded. You can laugh if you want to, but it is finally sinking in. Before last week, all i really thought that Dr. B had done was put in another bladder. (this deduction was made becasue i pee like a racehorse now) I had my surgery on 2/25/08. My first fill was on April 9, 2008. I felt no differnce after surgery and not that much differnce after my first fill. I was changing my eating habits because i wanted to..not because I my band was making me. I deliberately tried to eat helathy and avoid certain foods. Then, dear friends, I had my first episode of PBing about 2 weeks after getting my first fill. Oh the joy. And the funny thing is all I could do was laugh. I was like, "Are you kidding me?!! I ate pulled pork two days ago and that went down like Water and you wanna make me spit up green peas?!" Have ya'll ever seen Shrek when Puss in Boots pukes up that hairball? Well that is how I normally am when i puke. It is a dramatic scene and I generally think that I am dying and/or about to puke up my spleen. But this whole PBing thing was just comical. After TWO weeks, my band decided to let me know that it was there. However, this was not the Puss in Boots vomitng thing. It was more like a mama bird bringing back up food for her young. Is this how bulemics feel? Good Lord. I mean i pretty much did that pre vomit saliva-centers-in-full-force thing then "baaaaaarf. hello peas. How nice to see you again. I got to taste you twice. " Then i jsut went about my day. At my freinds baby shower, I had to excuse myself to the bathroom. I went and PB'd there. When I came from the bathroom she asked me if i was ok. I said, "Yeah. i just had to go puke." and in the same breath.. Oooh! you cut the cake while i was gone. can i have a teensy slice?!" She looked at me like I was a frickin' weirdo and laughed. So now. I know I have a band. I think I was teling Leslie that now, my eating habits have changed again. It is almost shameful to say that some foods I now avoid because i simply do not want to chew them. lol. Before this band thing, i would eat food even if I had to chew through the box to get to them. Now I am like :: insert whine here :: "Dammit. You know how looooong that is gonna take for me to chew?" At least I won't ever have to worry about getting plastic surgery on my face. From all this chewing, I truly feel that my jaw muscles are strong enough to chew my way out of a steel cage. Other than that, i am fine. I will find out how well i have been doing on may 19th...the day of my second fill. How is everyone else doing?

Pamela: You have pulled a muscle in your shoulder/neck and you have bacterial cooties. You are wondering why you are down? You are sick, mama. Being sick is not exactly a time of joyous celebration and laughter. However, please know that we all are praying for you and hoping that you get well very soon. Take those antibiotics like you are directed. Do NOT stop them just cuz things look better or you feel better. That is how a resistant bug gets more resistant. And msot importantly, jsut rest and heal. All you got were muscle relaxers for your pulled muscle? As you can tell by my posts, I am a big advocate of pain control. I don't believe in drugging people to the gills, but i know for a fact (here is my science/medical nerd showing herself) being comfortable when you are sick speeds recovery and believe it or not helps you mentally. Being in pain has a negative mental toll on you and it will cause you to get a lil' depressed. i am not trying turn peopel into junkies, but with the stage at which medicine has developed there is no reason for anyone to be in pain. Mama Brina has left the building. Sorry about my bout of preaching, but ya'll may as well get used to it. I have only known most of you for a few months, but that is long enough for me to consider you like family. You should not have made me feel so comfortable and welcome here. I am talking wearing a plaid shirt with a hole in it (by the boob or armpit) and some striped boxers with mix matched socks kinda comfortable.

Leslie: I sleep like I fell outta a tree and stayed where I landed. There is no method to the way i sleep. Sometines it is on my back, other times on my side. But when I got banded...girl.. i could tell when I slept on my left side. It felt like an army of rabid wolves had attempted to gnaw my arm off when I was lseeping. UGH. I also got that uncomfortable "stuck bubble/burp" feeling in my back for the first week or so. No matter what I did, I was uncofmprtable sitting up. I was not painful..just uncomfortable. Then for some reason, about about post op day three I got pains around my belly button. So it was this ritual for me to scoot and squirm and pretty much gator roll myself out of bed without pushing myself upright using my left shoulder/arm. Day three was the day i discovered that there was an incision right in my belly button. Eureka! That is why there was a tight "tug" in my abdomen whenever I sat up. The heating pad was my bestest, bestest, friend in the whole entire cosmos. Gas X did not do much. However, walking around did wonders. I was not painful..just fidgety..so I only had to take the pain meds like 3 times also. The funny thing is that around week three I ended up using the largest portion of my pain meds. My shoulder bugged the crap outta me around thsi time. No screaming pain, but enough pain that the pain meds and the pain med induced nap made everything cakes and pies later. I am now a little over six weeks out and I am back to my normal "fell outta a tree" position. My scar is still a little sore..I think it is forming scar tissue and all that good stuff. The port itself does not hurt...jsut the scar. Oh yeah. My girls decided that they would play tug-o-war with my port during th first week or two on occasion. I ended up sleeping in a sports bra at night. It was more comfortable than I thought and my gilrs learned to behave themselves. Jbrad: Heck to the yeah!!! I am all for the support group. I would *love* to meet everyone here. Ya'll are all just too fantastic. Again, if anyoen sees me out in public do not be afraid to say hello...no matter how mean I look at the time. (When I am not smiling, i do *not* have an approachable face).

Hello Everyone: I hope that everyone is progressing nicely along their Lapband journey. To Everyone (espeially Hollybelles and Bamboobabe): I am by no means a professional writer. I am just a common weirdo who has learned that laughter is in fact the best medicine for me. I have gone through some insane things in my life, some dealing with my weight/weight loss struggle other not. In the end, laughing kept me sane. Then I look at some of the stuff that we..the plus size society..put ourselved through to lose weight. Even funnier is what some have suggested that *I* put myself through to lose weight. I have no choice but to laugh. I was reading some column a while ago in which some lady sat there every day and meticulously weighed her food. She then put it into individual baggies so that she could have her sevings and calories pre-counted. She actually seriously suggested that I do that to lose weight. That just broke me into hysterics. Sugah, puh-lease, the only thing I would lose by doing that would be time and patience. I come from a very "economically challenged" (it is not PC to call people poor anymore. although we were poor as discount dirt) background that was infested with drugs. I had this picture of her being some kinda big girl drug dealer. The dealers in our neighborhood would all buy scales, weigh out the drugs, and then sell them according to weight (grams, ounces, etc). Just as sure as I am sitting here, I could see this shady lady on a corner hustling out food to big poeople. They's probably call her "Dough Girl" or something. She would stand on the corner trying to look inconspicuous, a car would drive up to her and crack a window, and she would ask them what they needed. I could see her peddling food to customers by the ounce, fat content, and sugar content. Please tell me that no one here actually weighed out your food. Note: Please realize that answering yes to that question gives me a reason to talk about you. And ya'll know that I have no home training when it comes to talking about folks. If my weirdness will help people laugh through their journey, I would be happy to contribute. I am extremely flattered that you all think that I would be worthy to contribute and reprsent the Bagnato Bandits. :: throws up a "B" sign with both hands and yells "B siiide":: I am not a professional writer by any means. I am just a three legged chair in a world of much more stable furniture. jbrad: You think you saw me in walmart? Girl, you should have been brave and spoken. It probably was me. I *live* in the Walmart on Ledo Rd. Even if you had mistaken some other big girl for me no harm would have been done. If you were wrong, and you accidentally offend some stranger, just tell them good evening and haul booty. You've lost 64 lbs. The woman you mistook for me had to be around 300lbs. You really think she would sprint after you? If anything you would just hear a barrage of cussing at your back while you sprinted away like the streamlined gazelle that you are. Seriously, if anyone thinks that they see me please say hello. You can even give me a big ol' hug. However, it may look strange. As big as my mouth is, I am only 5'2". This means that stop at most peoples' kneecaps. So those the ladies who have ample sized girls, please be aware that I am asthmatic and I smother easily.

Georgia girl: You will definitely be in my prayers, woman. I am not sure who said it, but staph *is* everywhere. Normally our bodies are good at fighting it of, but sometimes the little (bleep) manages to slip past our defenses. About you not being ale to exercise and all that. That is the last you need to be concerned about. You, dearest, need to get rid of this pesky infection you have. Then you can turn back into Jane Fonda. Please tell me that they have you on some fantastic pain meds along with your antibiotics. If not, I can go and Jackie Chan ninja kick your doctor for you. You need to rest your sick little leg. I have two good butt kicking legs and I am not afraid to use them. Mia: Congrats. Keep up that fantastic work. I dont know where and how you go to workout, but i absolutely cant go to a gym. I *always* encounter a group of double zeros chickies who are trying to sweat off that 0.67 ounces they gained when they each ate two grapes and a tic tac. I noramlly hate areobics because they are overly, overly, Overly perky..I am talking about the ones so perky that they want to make airline stewardesses hurl. However, beleive it or not, I found a tape that I like. "Walk away the pounds" by Leslie Sansone. I love her DVD. It it easy to follow.. trust me on this. Normally those vids have some lady that starts off slow then the next thing you know she has you break dancing on the floor. She is perky, but she doesn't make me wanna hurl. Leslie: He tripped over your IV?!! That would have been all it took for me to earn an Oscar for the best dramatic actress in an ER. They would have had to drug me right there. Me and my chicken self would have taken that as a sign from God. I probably would have thrown one of those Fred Sanford hand-covering-your-heart dramatic gestures and then topped it off with some ultra dramtic "i-caught-the-spirit" church lady faint. But you made it :: insert bratty two year old "toldya so" here:: Yaaaay!! Welcome to bandland. We will be serving Clear liquids to all our newest residents today. nummy. Nummy. Bamboobabe: I'm having dirty thoughts about ice cream now. I got propositioned by some Ben & Jerry's new york strawberry cheesecake icecream today in walmart. It winked at me and everything. I turned up my nose like a snotty diva, huffed, and pranced off. Don't look at me like that. Of course, i wanted the ice cream!!! And yes, i did go back down that aisle about fourteen times hoping that the 200 calories on the label was per Pint and not per serving. A girl can dream, can't she? maybe i will buy it as a treat to myself later...like in October. Allykat: Much like my mama does DISPOSABLE plastic wear...they will get recycled. I am sure that you will lose those two pounds. Then i will gain them. All I can do is hope that when I get them back that they go to my boobs. :: shrugs :: I am so glad to see so many of us posting on this board on a regular basis. Every one of you is an inspiration to me. No one is allowed to fall off this board!!!

Hello everyone: When ya'll said that Elizabeth and Malik are fantastic you were not kidding. Both of them are hilariouis and two of the sweetest people that I have ever met. I had my first fill on 4/9 (wednesday). I will not lie, worry wart that I am, I was waiting for her to try to find my port and be forced to break it to me that something horribly tragic and weird had happened (like not only had it flipped, but it had migrated to my armpit or something). However, my inner pessimist was force to sit there and endure a fantastically pleasant visit. I had not idea what kind of band that Dr. B placed in me. Elizabeth was sweet enough to actually show me what my band looked liek ( I have the 10 cc one) and what some of ther older ones look like too. ICK. i see why the older ones had so much trouble. I also learned something interesting. When she pulled back to see if there was any fluid in my band, she said that she got 2.0 ccs. I did not know that they put fluid in teh band at surgery. Then again, i know that Dr. B probably had to test the band before he inserted it to make sure it inflated properly and all that. It may have jsut been residual saline. Either way, i had 2.0cc already in and Elizabeth added 2.0 more ccs. The only thing that disappointed me about my visit is learning that people are so careless about their appointments. I remember all the discussions on this forum about how difficult it was to get an appointment if you thought you needed an early fill. The day that I was there there was one cancellation and TWO NO SHOWS. Malik was upset at one of the no shows becasue she was an add on and this was her second time not showing up without calling. I was so mad. I so wanted to ask Malik to give me that person's phone number so this person and i could have a chat. PS. FYI, most people don't like to chat when my inner angry black lady comes out. I am back on the Phase I and II hell foods again for three days. Double ick. I realize that I keep comparing what i eat now to what i ate after i had jsut got banded. Mind you, I am comparing my "normal" diet to week 2 when i could barely eat anything. As a result, I kept feeling like like I had been eating liek a pig!! Then I had to make myself realize that since I have been banded, i have been eating NOTHING near what i used to be able to eat..and eating so mcuh healthier..and LIKING it! i was so waiting for Elizabeth to tell me that i was back to my original weight (or gained weight..see Mrs. Pessimist coming out again). however, i found out I had lost two additional pounds. :: insert big girl booty shake dance of joy..right..about..now :: What?:redface::huh2: I lost two additional pounds in spite of the fact that I throw montly birthday parties at work involving two of my seven deadly sins..cake and icecream. yes. ::stands up proudly and shouts it out in a mega phone::..I do eat small amounts of both. But i know my limits, control my portions, and it is occasional..as opposed to what i used to do (i.e conveyer belt from the cake to my mouth..and the off switch was broken) I left the office feelin pretty fantastic.

Hello Mia: I am glad that you are getting some restriction. Yay for you. I am scheduled for my first fill on Wednesday, april 9th. I am nervous as hell about it, but excited at the same time. I had the same problems with finding vitamins. The adult ones are HUGE and I am afraid of getting them stuck. Then the chewables taste like dirt when they are chewed and i darn near puke trying to get them down. Then I went to the kids chewables and they tasted like guess what...fruit flavored dirt. ick. All of them taste like chalky imitation pez candy kinda stuff. And I hate pez candy. I have pretty much an entire bottle of centrum for kids vitamins if anyone is interested in those nasty things. I tried crunching them up and they still taste like fruity dirt. I tried putting them in water..yup still flavored dirt. I am pretty sure the only way i could get them things in me were to make little vitamin lines and snort them. ick. what did i end up choosing? Flinstones gummies. I love those things. They taste like gummy bears. When i was on on Phase I hell foods, taking my two little vitamins were the highlight of my day. I am also a little different in the fact that I am slightly anemic. A big healthy thick-hipped girl like me is anemic. I associated anemia with women who are a size -6 and want to know how many calories are in an M&M. But apprently big girls can be anemic too. Anyway, I have to take an iron pill every day also. The flinstone vitamins dont have iron in them (well not listed on the back of the bottle anyway) so they are not a good source for that. Question: How painful is a fill? Ya'll know that I am a big ol' water bag. I will cry like a baby if they have to poke me like they are playing pin the tail on the donkey. :wub:

I agree with Mia. The most painful part was how long it took them to get everything done. Once I was "taken to the back" everything kinda whooshed by. However, when i was up front in the waiting room it took forever to be called. Luckily I had my little hand held game console with me, so that helped pass the time quicker. Initally I was the only one there, then some other patient showed up. There was NO ONE in that waiting room other than the two of us and it took like 45 minutes for me to be seen in the outpatient check in department. Initally, I went to this little room with this nurse who asked me all kinds of questions about my presciption drug usage and explained when the outpatient center to fidn oout my surgery time. She pretty much put all my stuff into the computer. I think a wounded snail stuck in cold syrup could have moved faster than she did. :thumbup: Then I had to go back to the waiting room. Finally the lab nurse called for me. That lady is fantastic. Normally people have to poke around me like they are playing pin the tail on the donkey or soemthing. This blessed woman hit it on the first try. Then she took my x-rays, ECG, and all that other stuff. Yup, the same lady did all of that. I think that is why it takes so long...I only saw TWO nurses back there and they were the ""all purpose"' nurses. They did it all. Overall, I was very pleased. There was some wait ( the whole thing from walk in to hauling ass out the door was 2-3 hours), but the nurse who actually did the lab procedures was a sweetheart and super efficient. She was very quick and very thorough. Waiting to be called and dealing with the wounded snail lady were the most time consuming parts of the entire visit. The truth be told, most of the peopel who get banded are are not exaclty the best surgury/anesthesia canidates in the world. We are doing this becasue we are overweight and that itself comes with a host of issues. Diabetes, high blood pressure, rspiratory issues, etc have this done. But the point of having the lab stuff done is to make the procedure as safe as possible. Having said that, i think that you would have to have some extremely serious condition for them to tell you that you are not a good canidate. I think that you will do fine. Just bring soemthing to bide your time when you are in the waiting room.

Hello Leslie: I am very happy for you. I so can understand your fear an excitement. You will do fine. Everyone who read any of my posts knows how much of a chicken i was prior to this surgery. After all of crying (the crying when teh IV was placed, the crying while being wheeled to the pre-op room in the hospitial, the crying in the pre-op room in the hospital. The complete new tidal wave of Oprah Winfrey crying mingled with hiccupping tears that occurred when Dr. B patted me on the shoulder? leg? in the pre-op room and told me that i would okay.), i still think that this has been one of the best decisions that i have made for myself. Girrrl, now I look back at this and laugh. i look at my former posts and laugh at how much of a chicken I was about thsi whole thing. I see why they put me on a liquid diet the first week out of surgery...it was to replace the fluids that i had lost from crying so damn much. Sigh. You will do fine. Stock up on your post op fluids, get a giant body pillow and a heating pad to keep yourself comfortable, and heal. Then post in a few days telling us how much you are hating your clear fluid diet and how your entire kitchen is trying to seduce you:biggrin:.

Hello Everyone: I found this list when I was searching the net for lord knows what and someone asked me to repost this list. Before anyone comments, I do realize a LOT of the items on this list are superficial. However, as superficial as they are..they are things that smaller sized people take for granted and are more than significant issues for larger sized people (well I am at least speaking for chocolate chunky self, anyway). I actually have this list printed out on my fridge. I think this lady was either peeking through my window or had a hidden cam on me for the majority of my life. Nearly everything on this list applies to me. Some make me sad. Others make me angry. Others make me laugh my butt off. Again, nearly eveything on this list apllies to me. The bright side is that I am working on changing that. Neat Reasons to lose weight! 1. To feel better about myself. 2. To increase my feelings of self worth. 3. To be able to run and jump without worrying about hurting myself. 4. To look good in a tight dress. 5. To be able to wear shorts in the summer. 6. To be able to go swimming without being self-conscious. 7. To feel I can go swimming at all! 8. To be able to run with my grandchildren 9. To be healthier. 10. To not have fear going to the doctors, because he'll make me get on a scale. 11. To be able to wear a bra that actually fits. 12. To not worry about lawn chairs breaking. 13. To not worry about where to sit at a picnic or on an airplane. 14. To not get "those looks" at a restaurant, even when eating normal food. 15. So my ankles don't puff up and look like there's half a tennis ball on each side. 16. To be able to use a public washroom comfortably. 17. To be able to go into any store, and buy the clothes I like, not just the ones that fit. 18. To not feel awkward about going clothes shopping, or shoe shopping. 19. To be able to order clothes from a catalogue without worrying if they will fit. 20. To be able to wear something that doesn’t say PLUS on it. 21. To reduce my blood pressure. 22. So I can feel comfortable. 23. So I can run on the beach in a bathing suit and feel proud. 24. So taking a bath is a luxurious thing, instead of taking a shower so I won't risk overflowing the tub. 25. So my pants won't wear out between my legs while the rest of them are still in good shape. 26. I want to be able to read the scale by just looking down, straight down. 27. I don't ever want to feel my fat jiggle again! 28. So I can look in the mirror from the neck down and like what I see. 29. To feel strong and fit again. 30. So I can show off my muscles, instead of just feeling fat. 31. So I can play with my dog again! 32. So I can drive my car and feel comfortable. 33. So I don't feel like I'm always leaning back while sitting in a chair, because of my butt. 34. So I can walk up a flight of stairs and not feel winded. 35. So I can wear tight jeans. 36. So I can get up and dance and not feel weird. 37. So I can go on rides at amusement parks again, without stuffing myself into the seat shamefully. 38. So I don't have to worry about the maximum weight an exercise machine can take before I use it. 39. I want to deprive my cats of a perching spot on my chest because it’s too small. 40. So I don't get that pitying look when I go to a gym to work out. 41. So I can lay outside and suntan on my front lawn if I want. 42. I want to wear underwear that looks cute and dainty, not something industrial. 43. So I can buy lingerie that fits, and looks good. 44. So I can buy lingerie without getting weird looks from store clerks or other customers. 45. I want to be able to at least consider entering a triathlon and have it be a possibility. 46. So getting dressed every morning is a joy and not a dreaded chore. 47. So I can pick the haircut I really want and not just one that is for fat people. 48. So I'm when people start talking about weight loss, I don't feel they mean me. 49. So no one ever calls me "a big girl" ever again. 50. So I'm not embarrassed to have my picture taken. 51. So when my photo is taken with my family I don't have to groan inside myself as I know how terrible I am going to make the family picture look. 52. So I don't get those indents on my thighs from the arms of the chair I'm sitting in. 53. So I can cross my legs. 54. So I can walk in heels without fear. 55. So I can put my jeans in the dryer, have a shower, get out of the shower, walk to the dryer and just pull my jeans on, instead of waiting to really, really dry off and then fight to get the zipper up. 56. So I can put my clothes in the dryer and forget to check the timer, and not worry about them fitting. 57. So my bras don't stretch on the sides, or get pulled seams. 58. So I can crawl around on the floor hooking up computer cables without wondering how bad I look. 59. So I can look in a full-length mirror with pride, instead of despair. 60. So I can get up from the floor in one smooth move and not a grab and hold on to something move. 61. So I can get on with my life!!!!!!!!!!!! 62. So those stupid gowns at the doctors or chiropractors not only fit, but also are too big. 63. So I can show off my legs, instead of monster ham thighs. 64. So I can look good in a business suit or a short skirt, instead of always wearing loose clothing. 65. So my back doesn't hurt so much. 66. So I can lie in bed, look down and see my toes without lifting my head off the pillow. 67. So I don't have to worry about what fits in the closet and what doesn't. 68. So I don't have to worry about the seasons changing, and will my summer/winter clothes still fit. 69. So I don't fear the onset of summer and light clothing. 70. So I don't crave wintertime, so I can hide under big jackets and sweaters. 71. So I don't think mean thoughts when I see skinny women. 72. So my doctor will never say, "you really need to lose some weight" to me ever again, but instead says nothing more than "see you next year". 73. So no one will ever again ask me "when is your baby due", and I'm not pregnant. 74. So people in the supermarket don't look in my cart when they think I'm not looking, to see what a "fat person" eats. 75. So I look lean, mean and powerful. 76. So I can say my weight out loud with pride. 77. So the old pictures of the fat lady at the circus don't look like me. 78. So I can say to other people who are overweight, hey, I was there once too, and maybe help them get to where they want to be. 79. So I don't wonder if people are saying, "what is HE doing with HER "? (My honey is skinny and can eat anything) 80. So I don't have to worry about my bathroom scales breaking. 81. So I am in control of what exercise I choose and not what I am able to do as of being so over weight. 82. So I don't have to give excuses for being over weight. 83. So I can shave my legs in a shower without gashing myself because I can't see around my fat. 84. So I can ride a horse again! 85. So I can go out fishing with friends, and not be scared to walk inside the boat because I'm so heavy I will tip it. 86. To be able to go canoeing, and my end doesn't sink real low while the other person is almost in the air. 87. So my Grandchildren never remember me as fat. 88. So I can stand up in a boat again, with balance and grace, instead of hanging onto the sides and wondering how I'll get back in if I fall out. 89. So I can boat out to the middle of a lake and go swimming, and be able to pull myself back in the boat. 90. No more "beached whale" comments, anywhere. 91. So I can go into public and not care what type of looks I get. 92. So I can sit on a bar stool and I'm actually sitting ON it, not on it and around it too. 93. So a regular towel goes all the way around me, and maybe even looks cute. 94. So my socks pull all the way up. 95. So I can hug my knees to my chest again, and it’s comfortable. 96. So I can sit on a chair, and have my feet on that chair too, and not be sitting on them. 97. So I can wear a low cut sweater and my collarbones show. 98. So I can wear a light blouse or sweater, and there aren't dents where my bra straps are. 99. So I don't have to worry about arthritis or joint replacement when I get older. 100. So furniture doesn't groan when I sit on it, or wear out long before it should because I'm too heavy. 101. So I never have to look at someone else with envy again, thinking, "Wow, I wish I was that thin". 102. I want to lose weight so that my breasts stick out more than my stomach and not the other way around. 103. I can sit comfortably in the lawn chair all the way instead of sitting on the edge and the arms pinching me. 104. I can fit into the theatre seats comfortably. 105. I can sit at the booth OR table in the restaurant. I don't have to be embarrassed because I need a table. 106. I can look straight down and see my toes instead of bending over to see them. 107. I can bend over comfortably to tie my shoes. I am adding #108: So I can shop at stores other than Lane Bryant, Catherine's or Catos or Ashley Stewart. Don't get me wrong, i love thier clothes, but so does every other plus sized lady in town. If you are in a small town or a town that does not have that many plus sized stores ALL the big girls look like they are memebers of a unifromed service because WE ALL WEAR THE SAME CLOTHES for the same "big girl" stores. Oh well. What can you do but laugh at that. :wink: *****To give credit where credit is due, i got this list from Neat Reasons to lose weight<!-- google_ad_section_end --><!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

Hello Everyone: I found this list when I was searching the net for lord knows what. Before anyone comments, I do realize a LOT of the items on this list are superficial. However, as superficial as they are..they are things that smaller sized people take for granted and are more than significant issues for larger sized people (well I am at least soeaking for myself). I actually have this list printed out on my fridge. I think this lady was either peeking through my window or had a hidden cam on me for the majority of my life. Nearly everything on this list applies to me. The bright side is that I am looking to change that. Home Page Neat Reasons to lose weight! 1. To feel better about myself. 2. To increase my feelings of self worth. 3. To be able to run and jump without worrying about hurting myself. 4. To look good in a tight dress. 5. To be able to wear shorts in the summer. 6. To be able to go swimming without being self-conscious. 7. To feel I can go swimming at all! 8. To be able to run with my grandchildren 9. To be healthier. 10. To not have fear going to the doctors, because he'll make me get on a scale. 11. To be able to wear a bra that actually fits. 12. To not worry about lawn chairs breaking. 13. To not worry about where to sit at a picnic or on an airplane. 14. To not get "those looks" at a restaurant, even when eating normal food. 15. So my ankles don't puff up and look like there's half a tennis ball on each side. 16. To be able to use a public washroom comfortably. 17. To be able to go into any store, and buy the clothes I like, not just the ones that fit. 18. To not feel awkward about going clothes shopping, or shoe shopping. 19. To be able to order clothes from a catalogue without worrying if they will fit. 20. To be able to wear something that doesn’t say PLUS on it. 21. To reduce my blood pressure. 22. So I can feel comfortable. 23. So I can run on the beach in a bathing suit and feel proud. 24. So taking a bath is a luxurious thing, instead of taking a shower so I won't risk overflowing the tub. 25. So my pants won't wear out between my legs while the rest of them are still in good shape. 26. I want to be able to read the scale by just looking down, straight down. 27. I don't ever want to feel my fat jiggle again! 28. So I can look in the mirror from the neck down and like what I see. 29. To feel strong and fit again. 30. So I can show off my muscles, instead of just feeling fat. 31. So I can play with my dog again! 32. So I can drive my car and feel comfortable. 33. So I don't feel like I'm always leaning back while sitting in a chair, because of my butt. 34. So I can walk up a flight of stairs and not feel winded. 35. So I can wear tight jeans. 36. So I can get up and dance and not feel weird. 37. So I can go on rides at amusement parks again, without stuffing myself into the seat shamefully. 38. So I don't have to worry about the maximum weight an exercise machine can take before I use it. 39. I want to deprive my cats of a perching spot on my chest because it’s too small. 40. So I don't get that pitying look when I go to a gym to work out. 41. So I can lay outside and suntan on my front lawn if I want. 42. I want to wear underwear that looks cute and dainty, not something industrial. 43. So I can buy lingerie that fits, and looks good. 44. So I can buy lingerie without getting weird looks from store clerks or other customers. 45. I want to be able to at least consider entering a triathlon and have it be a possibility. 46. So getting dressed every morning is a joy and not a dreaded chore. 47. So I can pick the haircut I really want and not just one that is for fat people. 48. So I'm when people start talking about weight loss, I don't feel they mean me. 49. So no one ever calls me "a big girl" ever again. 50. So I'm not embarrassed to have my picture taken. 51. So when my photo is taken with my family I don't have to groan inside myself as I know how terrible I am going to make the family picture look. 52. So I don't get those indents on my thighs from the arms of the chair I'm sitting in. 53. So I can cross my legs. 54. So I can walk in heels without fear. 55. So I can put my jeans in the dryer, have a shower, get out of the shower, walk to the dryer and just pull my jeans on, instead of waiting to really, really dry off and then fight to get the zipper up. 56. So I can put my clothes in the dryer and forget to check the timer, and not worry about them fitting. 57. So my bras don't stretch on the sides, or get pulled seams. 58. So I can crawl around on the floor hooking up computer cables without wondering how bad I look. 59. So I can look in a full-length mirror with pride, instead of despair. 60. So I can get up from the floor in one smooth move and not a grab and hold on to something move. 61. So I can get on with my life!!!!!!!!!!!! 62. So those stupid gowns at the doctors or chiropractors not only fit, but also are too big. 63. So I can show off my legs, instead of monster ham thighs. 64. So I can look good in a business suit or a short skirt, instead of always wearing loose clothing. 65. So my back doesn't hurt so much. 66. So I can lie in bed, look down and see my toes without lifting my head off the pillow. 67. So I don't have to worry about what fits in the closet and what doesn't. 68. So I don't have to worry about the seasons changing, and will my summer/winter clothes still fit. 69. So I don't fear the onset of summer and light clothing. 70. So I don't crave wintertime, so I can hide under big jackets and sweaters. 71. So I don't think mean thoughts when I see skinny women. 72. So my doctor will never say, "you really need to lose some weight" to me ever again, but instead says nothing more than "see you next year". 73. So no one will ever again ask me "when is your baby due", and I'm not pregnant. 74. So people in the supermarket don't look in my cart when they think I'm not looking, to see what a "fat person" eats. 75. So I look lean, mean and powerful. 76. So I can say my weight out loud with pride. 77. So the old pictures of the fat lady at the circus don't look like me. 78. So I can say to other people who are overweight, hey, I was there once too, and maybe help them get to where they want to be. 79. So I don't wonder if people are saying, "what is HE doing with HER "? (My honey is skinny and can eat anything) 80. So I don't have to worry about my bathroom scales breaking. 81. So I am in control of what exercise I choose and not what I am able to do as of being so over weight. 82. So I don't have to give excuses for being over weight. 83. So I can shave my legs in a shower without gashing myself because I can't see around my fat. 84. So I can ride a horse again! 85. So I can go out fishing with friends, and not be scared to walk inside the boat because I'm so heavy I will tip it. 86. To be able to go canoeing, and my end doesn't sink real low while the other person is almost in the air. 87. So my Grandchildren never remember me as fat. 88. So I can stand up in a boat again, with balance and grace, instead of hanging onto the sides and wondering how I'll get back in if I fall out. 89. So I can boat out to the middle of a lake and go swimming, and be able to pull myself back in the boat. 90. No more "beached whale" comments, anywhere. 91. So I can go into public and not care what type of looks I get. 92. So I can sit on a bar stool and I'm actually sitting ON it, not on it and around it too. 93. So a regular towel goes all the way around me, and maybe even looks cute. 94. So my socks pull all the way up. 95. So I can hug my knees to my chest again, and it’s comfortable. 96. So I can sit on a chair, and have my feet on that chair too, and not be sitting on them. 97. So I can wear a low cut sweater and my collarbones show. 98. So I can wear a light blouse or sweater, and there aren't dents where my bra straps are. 99. So I don't have to worry about arthritis or joint replacement when I get older. 100. So furniture doesn't groan when I sit on it, or wear out long before it should because I'm too heavy. 101. So I never have to look at someone else with envy again, thinking, "Wow, I wish I was that thin". 102. I want to lose weight so that my breasts stick out more than my stomach and not the other way around. 103. I can sit comfortably in the lawn chair all the way instead of sitting on the edge and the arms pinching me. 104. I can fit into the theatre seats comfortably. 105. I can sit at the booth OR table in the restaurant. I don't have to be embarrassed because I need a table. 106. I can look straight down and see my toes instead of bending over to see them. 107. I can bend over comfortably to tie my shoes. To give credit where credit is due, i got this list from Wildkat's Weight Loss Adventure

I called the office to ask what i could take for the occasional stitch in my side that I had post op. It was suggested that I take liquid tylenol. I know that some posts/people advise you to stay away from certain pain meds. I told her that I had most of my post op liquid Loritab that Dr. B prescribed me and she siad that i coudl take that if I wanted. Your best bet is to just call Dr. B's office. I can see why they would not want you to some of the OTC pain meds cuz they worry that it will irritate yout stomach or in worse case scenarios cause ulceration if taken in ridiculous excess or something. However i do remember them saying that i can take liquid tylenol. Again, i recommend calling Dr. B's office. he may be able to prescribe you soemthing otc (over the counter). Doctors also have the ability to get meds compunded (i.e. if there is a med that you want and otc sells in in these big horse tabs, they may have a pharmacy that will make it into a liquid for you). good luck. And when you find out, please post. I am sure that someone else may have this question later on.

I think you hit it right on the head. You are consuming only liquids. you are not consuming any solids foods right now, so you aren't producing any solid waste. I remember waking up one day and going to go pee and was like," I have not pooped in forever. What the hell." I had my surgery on 2/25 and i dont think i actually went to do #2 until like a week later. The last time I had eaten solid food was was 7pm the night before my surgery on 2/25. So when i did go, i think i was getting rid of that. ick. I know that is probably Too Much Info, but hell..we are strangers talking about each other's bathroom habits. Once I was able to go to the full liquids and such, i started going. But still not regular poo. Not diarrhea, but not normal poo. And once you go, it wont be much. Now i am on pureed foods and since I input more solid foods..then guess what?...my outgo lol has increased as well. however, everyone is difernt. But in my non-professional..but been there, done that..opinion.. ..i think you are normal. i do emphasize to express your concerns to your doc, though. take care.

Hello Fellow Bansters: How much were ya'll able to eat before you got your first fill? How long did the full feeling last? How was your hunger level? I am still on the full liquids portion of this diet (for one more day then, I go to pureed food and such) but I will admit, I will occasionally have a small portion of something that I am not supposed to have. It won't be anything dramatic like ice cream or hamburgers or steak or solid food or anything..but stuff that I can tolerate that is not truly on the liquids list. How is everyone doing? I hope everyone is doing well.

Hello everyone: I would ahve loved to meet with ya'll today, but i have the funkiest shedule. Either I work from 8pm-5am, 530am-12pm or 3am-12pm. :: insert dramatic sigh here :: Yay me. Brina, princess of the night shift and varying schedule. And the worst part of it is that i stay less than a mile from Palmyra Hoapital and Dr. B's office. If you are talking about the Zaxby's on Slappey Blvd, I could have walked there. The next time you guys meet up, i am gonna try to attend. Heck, I wanted to attend this time. I will see how it goes. I am very thrilled that you guys had a chance to meet. I am sure you had a blast. As I say this, i am squishing the little bit of jealousy that i was unable to attend. :embaressed_smile: I hope to be able to meet when the next social event (i had to say "social event" so that it could imply that I have a social life, so just humor me) is planned. How is everyone doing? I think I am doing well. I have no idea of my weight at this point. I do not think that i am gaining anything, but I dont think that I am losing anythign either. I will occasionally weigh myself at home, but I really dont trust my scale here at home. The scalle seems to tell em that I am still at the post op weight loss of -15lbs. I am NOT complaining by any means, but I cant get happy until i know that my scale is not playing with my emotions. i am generally an emiotinally stable person, but when it comes to my weight i am as stable as the stock market or gas prices. At times it is right on point with Dr. Bs scale and then other time the thing is a bloody blue blazin liar. I think it does that to see if it can finally snap my last nerve. Can you just walk into teh obesity clinic and get weighed or is an appointment required? I would like to know. I have never been to the obesity clinic and I don't have an appointment to go there until my first fil on April 9th.

Hello Feb 25th bandsters: I am just checking in to see how everyone is doing. I am doing okay. It is funny that i barely had to take any of the liquid loritab for pain during th first week. I was given 300 ml and i have about 250 ml left. However, now my port and such occasionally get a twinge if I move wrong. I am not too worried about it, because i know that it is partly due to scar tissue formation and all that good stuff. However, i take a littel loritab once if a while if i cant get comfortable. food... I am one mashed potatoe eating machine. i was so happy to get of that clear liquid hell food phase that soupy grits and mashed potatoes and such felt like gourmet food. So now I live off of mashed potataotes with cream of chicken Soup poured on top of them. If you have not tried it..try it. it is a lot healthier than gravy and it it adds a ton of flavor to bland mashed potatoes. I also eat a lot of those single serving microwave green peas packs from the green giant. I think they put crack in them. I am not sure. But I know for a fact I could have cared less for them before being banded. Now i get down to one pack and I get twitchy. i still think that clear liquid week put me in perspective..if I lived through that I could live through anything. I am supposed to be on teh pureed diet stage. the food options are better, but the consistency of food...ie pureed makes me turn up my nose. Chicken should not be the consistency of applesauce. Eww. Eww. Ewwww. Matter of fact, where is the little "vomit" icon so I can tell you how I really feel about pureed food. The closest I have gotten to pureed food is soft food that I chew extremely well like soft fish or back to the good old mashed potatotoes. I "cheated one day" and got a pulled pork (kind of a finely shredded pork) sandwich from a bbq place. i did not eat the bread, but it took me two days to eat the serving of meat that came with it. Previously I could easily eat two of those sandwiches alone. My only concen at this point is hwo much I can eat. All this literature tells me that my stomach should hold 1/4 cup of food. I laugh at that. I am not pigging out, but i know i can eat much more than that. I know that the potatoes are a carb party..but have you any idea what i *used* to eat? My meals consist of a serviing of grits or mashed potatoes, soft fish, and a single serving of vegetables. If I can fit in sugar free pudding or a lowfat creamsicle either of those may serve as dessert. that ususally holds me for a few hours. A meal like that used to be what I snacked on while I was in the kitchen preparing my real (normally bigger)meal. Overall I am doing well. I dont have an appointment for a fill until 4/9/08. I hoep everyone else is doing well too. Keep posting. I love knowing how those who were bnaded on that same day as I was are doing.

How much were ya'll able to eat before you got your first fill? How long did the full feeling last? I am still on the full liquids portion of this diet (for one more day then, I go to pureed food and such) but I will admit, I will occasionally have a small portion of something that I am not supposed to have. It won't be anything dramatic like ice cream or hamburgers or steak or anything..but stuff that I can tolerate that is not truly on the liquids list. How is everyone doing? I hope everyone is doing well.

Allykat: You are on mushies already? How in the heck did that happen and we were banded TWO days apart and I was banded before you!! I am still on this full liquids crap. The most solid thing I have is soupy mashed potatoes with cream of chicken on top of them. :drool::eek: Who did you pay off? I want in.

Hello allykat: I am doing fine. I know what you mean that the hunger just suddenly returned. I am still on the full liquids phase. I can eat the creamed Soups and watery grits and all of that. I eat a few creamed soups, but I am mostly living off of mashed potatoes with cream of chicken Soup poured over them. I am surprised at how filling they are. If I am craving meat..I will eat one or two chicken vienna sausages. I know that they are not the halthiest thing in the world, but they are the softest meat that I can think of. Physically I am fine, but right now emotially i am having one of those days. I kinda wish they had not told me that I lost 15 lbs. it has dawned on me that the further you progress into the phases the higher you calorie consumption. More calories=more potential to gain weight. I think the true reason I am on mashed potatoes is because I am scared to gain back those 15lb. I know that the band was not reposnsible for that loss. You live off of sugar free everything and wonton soup for a week and you physiologically *have* to lose weight. Then i went to get my eyebrows arched this weekend. The girl who does my brows had been banded by Dr. Bagnato. She pretty much dropped trou and showed me what her loose skin looked like. It was not some horrific site, but it was enough to get me all concerned. I dont want that. it took all of my courage to go through with this and the thougth of having to have plastic surgery scares the shit outta me. On top of that, who is gonna pay for it if it coems to that. I know that this is far off since I have only lost 15 lbs, but it is stuck in the front of my mind. I am ordering soem exercise vids and some toning vids today. Other than that, I am okay. Not my usuall goofy self, but I am surviving.

Hello Everyone: Is Platic surgery/cosmetic surgery a definite for eveyone who has been banded? Are there people who loose over 50 to 100lbs and don't end up with loose skin? Is there anything that can be done that can reduce the chances of you having to have plastic surgery? The reason that i am asking is becuase i was jsut recently banded. I see tons of people getting TT and all kinds of lifts and such and i am terrified of having to have all that done. I can not afford to have that done for one thing. Any advise on reducing the chance of having to have plastic surgery?

Congrats Jonathan!!:smile2: The only comment that I have is that that those pics don't do you any justice. You have no idea how truly different you look. I guess turning down chocolate chip Cookies will have that kind of effect on ones appearance. Maybe I should follow by example on that one.

Hello Everyone: Is PS a definite for eveyone who has been banded? Are there people who loose over 100#s and don't end up with loose skin? Is there anything that can be done that can reduce the chances of you having to have plastic surgery? The reason that i am asking is becuase i was jsut recently banded. I see tons of people getting TT and all kinds of lifts and such and i am terrified of having to have all that done. I can not afford to have that done for one thing. Any advise on reducing the chance of having to have plastic surgery?

It amazes me the number of people who have decided to not tell some of the closest people in their lives about this surgery. What is even more amazing is that I am one of those people!! For my entire life, I have had to deal with my weight issue. Me...not my freinds..not my family..ME. On top of that, some of my harshest crititcs about my health/wetight/etc are those who are closest to me. Then i mention to a few of them that i was considering this and they flipped. "you don't need that" "you are not that big" "just eat less junk" "we love you jsut as you are" Oh. my. frickin. goodness. After that response i did not mention it again for MONTHS. I waited until I was sure that no one remembered that I had even mentioned it before i made my decision to get banded. I think that alot of the negative impression was from people who confused getting banded with the riskier process of gastric bypass. Once I explained to a few what i had gotten done, they were a lot less worried. One of my "freinds" is no longer a close friend as a result of this. her reply (jokingly, but i feel there was some truth to it), " go ahead and get it done..just don't you dare get smaller than me." So that "freind's" negative statemensts were her fear of being the largest one in the room. Some of the negative comments were fear of change. They truly loved me and had no idea how this would cahnge me. Once I assured them that I would still be me...crazy as I always am...still going out to dinner...still acting like a complete fool in public...they were fine. Regardless of how people felt, i was doing thsi for ME. They did not have to live with my weight and health problems. they did not have to did with all my emotianal issues tied to weight,. If people truly love you they will be supportive. Some may coem around once they see how much happier you are. Others may never. All in all, I am still glad that I made this decision for me. One thing I have learned though...telling people will help you determine who your true firends are.

Mynmann: You have to go to your profile and edit your signature. You post your ticker on your signature so that whenever you leave a post your ticker will show up. Oh... also they will give you differnt kinds of formats to post your ticker. Don't use the "html" format becaseu it won't show up. Make sure that you use the "bb" format. the bb format allows you to post on a Bulletin Board format like this one. I think that is the problem with yours. Mine did the same thing when i first posted. Also, dont lose your pin/pasword to your ticker. You need this to update your ticker. if you lose/forget it you will have to make a whoel new one. What is the pic problem? do you mean your avatar pic or are you trying to post a before and after pic? I hope this helps.

Mia: Girl, you are a plus sized bride. I think overall the wedding industry assumes that no one over a size 10 gets married. Take that back..no one who makes less than a 6 figure income who is plus sized wants get married. If you are a size 40 and you make 6 figures you can have a versace gown made if you wanted it. My friend wears a size 16...do you know what kinds of crimes against humanity i would commit to wear a 16..and she had the hardest time finding a dress. Then when we found one she liked (that did not make her either look like a bar maid or the owner of a burleque house.. the price tag was so big it looked like someone had attached thier social security number where the price should have been. I was a bridesmaid at wonderful size of 26/28 so finding something for me was even worse. She lucked out and found a lady who hand made everything. it was a big price but nothign compared to what the designer price tag would ahve been. You are an emotional eater. I got banded with my insurance and I never had pre-band counseling. I would liek to have it, becaseu i know food is as much emotional for me as it is a physical problem. I know for a fact that i will always be an emotianl eater...i dont drink, i dont smoke, i dont do drugs, i eat. Get me upset...and once I can catch breath from cussin' i want to shove food in my mouth. the thing for me is that eating when i am upset is not the thing that does the most damage...it is the beating myself up over eating crappy food when i am emotional that does the most lasting damage. It always ends in a gigantic Pity Party and I-Can't-Do Campaign. So i have resolved that if i am pissed and i want (insert highly fattening, but highly delicious comfort food here), I will have it and enjoy it. However, i will not beat myself up over it. Now i agree that this is not the healthiest way...but it is how I deal with it. Truth is most of the time, I can steer away from the comfort food becaseu i know how severly depressed i will feel after eating it. so what's the point of eating it and enjoying it for a second then being depressed over it all day. Now I think I get more vicotry over being able to say NO to the food than actually eating it. I feel like a champ when i am able to realize that this food is both emotionally and physically unhealthy for me. Allykat: you went to applebees and that is all you had!! girl, you did fantastic in my opinion. that is like me going into to lane bryant on a 80% off sale and only buying a sock!! note: on "sales" i have been known to coem out there -$200. I think the fact that you are even looking at your and trying to choose the better options is a humongous step in the right direction. Take care everyone.