JanetC

I've been diagnosed with PCOS via an ultrasound -- my doc saw the lovely pearls in my ovaries. I went to read up on it & had many of the symptoms on the list, except for the missed periods (mine are regular, long & VERY heavy). When I read about Crystal's possible Cushing's, I went & read up on it. And of course I had many of the symptoms on the list... scared me to death! So far I seem to be losing (about a pound a week), so I think I'm going to stick my head in the sand & say I have PCOS without Cushing's. I hope they can clarify your diagnosis soon, VQ! You deserve an answer!

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!!! Update on us: We're both doing fine. Mikey's finally feeling some restriction... he had to start slowing down, taking smaller bites & CHEWING!! I have to admit I wasn't terribly sympathetic, lol. I'm afraid I laughed at him, lol. I bought the fitday.com PC version ($20 if you sign up for a fitday.com account)... it ROCKS!! It has all kinds of charts & graphs. You can input custom food... so once you put in your favorites, it's easy to track your calories. And then it tells you how much fat, carb & protein is in your diet, how much you're burning, what the deficit is, etc. It's amazing! What a great tool! It's my favorite new toy. Stacey: ((Hugs!!)) Pull out an old photo of you at a weight that you like & put it on your mirror. Focus on THAT one... "The me I see is the me I'll be." It's our psychologist's favorite phrase... worth trying! Now hug yourself & say, "I'm 25 pounds closer to that picture. I'll get there!" Nanster: Congrats on the fill! That's awesome! Too weird about the spasms. Though if it was there pre-op, at least you know it's not the band! Congrats on the watch hanging, lol. That's awesome! LOL, I love your husband's comeback! That's priceless!

Did someone say my name? I really see the difference! You are gorgeous! Porclndoll's pics side-by-side:

Oh bummer! We'll miss you!! Hopefully you can come next month!

DFW at Jason's Deli, Sat, 3/25, 11 am!! Let's all get together at Jason's Deli at 635 & MacArthur Blvd! Jason's Deli 7707 N MacArthur Blvd, Suite 100 Irving, TX 75063-7510 972-432-0555 We've been to Jason's often with small to big groups... we can just take over if there's enough of us! If it's just Mikey & I, that's ok too. Edit: Looks like the 25th for lunch won out. See you there!! Edit 3/20/06: So far I have the following as coming: Mikey & Janet (JanetC) Randy (MyKdsDad) & Ms Joy (?) Luv my Harley & Dixie Donna B & Mike Leatha (leatha_g) Keri (banded_for_life) Cindy (Mousecrazy) Michelle (Dancer) Kim (kimalicious) JAYGERL05 Tara (SouthernBelle) Gretta (gagretta84) Carrie (MsButterKup23) I count that as 17. Anyone bringing a friend / significant other that I should count for? I'll call Jason's on Friday & warn them.

Oh wow, Anne! I'm so glad you got a new band & are doing ok! I'm sure that's terrifying to go through!! Sending prayers, white light & healing thoughts your way... hope the gas pains are gentle!

Hehe, we've all been with you on the mood swings during pre-op! And immediately following the surgery, lol. For the hair loss, start now. Make sure you're getting enough Protein in (do a web search for protein... the amount varies by study, but anywhere from 60-100g per day). And start supplementing Biotin (it's one of the B vitamins). Some hair loss is inevitable with surgery, but it doesn't have to be a ton... and it does grow back. Ask your surgeon how he closes his cuts: staples or "glue & tape". Glue & tape leaves smaller scars, imho. They still aren't really big, but it sounds like it matters to you. Mostly, just ask as many questions as you can think of. The more the merrier! It's your body, you deserve to know!

Tina -- you don't HAVE to use milk... I just prefer the taste with it. It's made to mix with just Water, so it's up to you. I use skim, but it's really just because I LOVE milk. Post-op, it's probably a better idea to use water. The less stuff you give your stomach to digest, the better. I know several bandsters have had issues with dairy during the post-op healing period. How exciting for you!! We'll have to look for you at the next support group meeting! If not there, then next month at Jason's.

I think I got everyone from all the various threads counted now... looks like we're at 17. Woohooo! This is gonna be a blast! DonnaB, if you want to call Jason's, go for it! Just tell them somewhere between 4 & 40, lol, but most likely around 20.

Wow, Kelly! You look awesome!! You can see in your face how much swelling there is... take that much from the rest of your body & wowzah!! You're gonna be HOT!!! You're really brave to have all that done at once! Thanks so much for sharing it with us! Can't wait to see your progress all laid out! (( Hugs!! )) Get some rest!!

Oh my goodness, that's the BEST NSV! You rock!

Yeah, we were wondering if Paula's drunk 100% of the time. She did seem better last night, but she's just... off.

I started one & uploaded the pics I had (hope you don't mind, Jenna! ). Start adding to it! I cry when I think of all the pages & pages of pics, lol. We'll get there again!

Jenna's scars (with the hot undies!):

Mikey's scars: Edit: Adding 7 week pic.

Ok, I'll start this... hopefully a helpful moderator will sticky it. Janet's scars: Edit: We took new pics.

We'll try to make it later next time... maybe an early dinner or a late lunch?

You can mix the shakes with fruit... or yogurt... or Peanut Butter. To tell you the truth, I've just used extracts & "coffee syrups". I use 8 oz milk, 1 scoop chocolate, 1 scoop vanilla, a dash of hazelnut syrup & blend it (40g protein). Then I blend in ice (we love the chopped ice feel). You can mix it by hand... it blends fine, but we like the ice, so since I'm using the blender anyway.... If you're into coffee drinks, I strongly recommend: http://store.bariatriceating.com/achievone.html -- they're a touch stronger then Starbucks (more coffee flavor, slight Protein aftertaste), but I love 'em. I try to always have some on hand, even now that we're off the Protein Shakes. Edit: LOL, Mikey beat me to it... his is funnier too.

Ms Vicki: Wow!! That's awesome weightloss! So glad your high is lasting! Keep it up! Nanster: Never heard of the spasming thing... do you feel it? We didn't have to do a barium swallow, just swallow water. I guess every surgeon's different! I do wonder about cholesterol, but I'll get it checked in 6 months or so. We do eat more chicken then beef & we use egg beaters, so hopefully it'll work itself out! Sherry: Sorry, we've gone scale-less, so I don't have a clue. We just use the one at our surgeon's office. Nanster: Wow, sounds scary!! Hope the mushies do it for you! I know that I've seen folks suggest a warm liquid before eating if your band is too tight. Keep us updated! Ya'll are making me jealous with your scale talk! We were both too big for standard scales when my last one broke... so we just didn't bother. It's probably for the best... I would be weighing every 15 minutes! Happy Thursday everyone! Almost there!!

Ahhhh, that's awesome news!! Congrats!

I'll miss Kevin, lol, though he wasn't Idol material. Even Barry said he was the sweetest, lol. I noticed Ace got out of the bottom 3 this week. Lisa didn't! Can't wait for next Tuesday!!!

I'm 5 weeks out. And personally, a new band every 10 years would be worth it to me. I guess I was wondering what your immediate impressions are of the band post op? I was frustrated immediately following the surgery. You don't have restriction at that point... you still get hungry (or at least I did). I had swelling for 2 weeks, so wasn't starving, but after that I could have eaten a horse! Thank goodness for fills! People warn you that the first 6 weeks is for healing & that any weight you lose during that time is from will-power & is a gift... but you don't realize it until you're in it. It's a long time! And of course everyone you've told is looking for your weight loss, lol, and you're sitting still. Irritating. Are you amazed? I am amazed at how quickly the pain faded. At the time, it seemed unending, but it really was gone quickly. I wasn't this far along this quickly after knee surgery! Currently, after my first fill, I'm amazed at not being hungry. I know I'm still able to eat more then I "should", but it's SO much less then I used to eat. I can be patient & wait for my fills to limit my eating further. What a tool! Are you disappointed? I was disappointed with myself & my will power during the healing period (I didn't limit my calories at ALL, lol). I'm not disappointed with the band at all. It's too early to tell, but it seems to be working amazingly! Are you tickled pink? Maybe light pink, lol. I am excited & thrilled to think that this is actually going to work. That even if I cheat... even if I binge... the band will limit how much damage I can do. What a blessing! Are you mourning food? Yes. I don't think I was really prepared mentally. I'm not sure there is a way to GET prepared. You don't know how you'll react until it's gone. I can actually eat anything I want -- bread, Pasta, rice, steak, you name it. But I can't eat as MUCH as I want, lol. It irritates me, lol. I'm sure I'll get over it in time... I'm working on it!

1). Being "gassy" and having persistent gas pains<o></o>: My gas post-op was staggering... but only for 3 weeks. The first week was terrible, the 2nd week was awful, the 3rd week was irritating. Now it only hurts when I get over hungry (I'm bad about not eating in time). On the other hand, my husband (banded 2 days before me), had ZERO gas pains. It varies from person to person. 2). Becoming a burper (I'm not a burper now and I don't want to be!) <o></o>I can't make myself burp, lol. I do sometimes feel the need, but normally only if I've done something wrong: eaten too fast is my biggest culprit. My burps now are more, um, lady-like. They're really more like a little hiccup, except just 1 or 2. 3). Throwing up - period! They really try to have you avoid throwing up. There is the possibility of PBing (Productive Burp)... but again, it's something that happens when you do something wrong: don't chew well enough, eat too fast, take too big a bite. If you learn your new habits & practice them, you won't ever throw up. It's NOT inevitable, just possible.<o></o> 4). How long after surgery until I am ready for hot (truly hanging from the chandelier) sex with my boyfriend? (I am serious about this!)<o></o> Our doctor told us we could after 10 days... as soon as we felt like it. I felt like it at about a month. My husband felt like it on day 11, lol. 5). Is choosing to do this surgery going to make me consumed with "what and how and when and with who and where and how much" to the point of distraction where I'm no fun to be with or like a "special needs" friend? Do I need to blender foods and take a broccoli-shake-on-ice (example) if I am going to be out all afternoon with the girls? I think it is a bit consuming in the beginning... while you learn your new lifestyle. I find myself thinking about it a LOT. But I can already see it fading a bit. food on the whole is fading... which is cool, I've NEVER been able to forget food! You definitely do not have to take broccoli-shakes out with you. There is a post-op diet, but that is limited & will be described to you by your surgeon. (Ours was 3 weeks. Other doctors are longer.) Once you're done with the post-op, it's just a matter of what YOU can eat -- each person is different. For me, I've been able to eat everything (bread, Pasta & rice included). It does vary, though, so if you're not willing to give something up, this may not be the solution for you. 6). That I will regret having this done because it altered my life so dramatically<o></o> WLS is a VERY personal decision. We cannot guarantee that you won't regret it. I personally don't regret mine. I know Mikey doesn't regret his. But I can't speak for you. 7). That I'll have ugly scars (I already have tiny lipo scars that don't bother me but I don't want to look like I've been butchered - which brings me to my next point) Our scars are already fading... by a year I doubt you'll even see most of them (2 are larger... the top, which is under my bra strap, and the bottom (port)). There's a thread with scars: (it appears to be missing... hopefully it will show back up, it WAS a sticky in the general forum). If you'd like to see Mikey's or my scars, we have a picture page on my blog: http://www.yylc.us/Janet 8). I think (I am sure if you want to look like I want to look) that more surgery to remove excess skin is going to be needed (more scars and now I am looking like a pin cusion when naked<o></o> PS is an option if needed. Some are going with body wraps as an alternative, depending on how much skin you're talking about. Where you have 70 pounds to lose, you MIGHT get lucky & have the skin shrink with you. It really depends on your skin, your weight, and how long you've carried that weight. It's very personal. However, good plastic surgeons hide the scars really well -- in panty lines, under arms, etc... you can barely see them (after 6 months, of course... they look ugly to start & take time to fade). 9). That this is just another drastic measure that I take that is not really necessary in the big picture... the side effects were not worth it.<o></o> It sounds to me like you may not be that unhappy with yourself as you are. You really have to weigh the benefits against the costs. You WILL have to modify what / how you eat. You WON'T lose fast -- the goal is 1.5 - 2 pounds a week. It will probably effect your diabetes positively. It will change your appearance (assuming compliance with the dietary requirements). For me, it is worth it. My knees are already thanking me. My blood pressure thanks me. My PCOS thanks me. My closet thanks me. My husband thanks me. I've barely started the journey & it's been worth it. A small change in eating habits, while difficult to learn, was worth it for long-term results... for me. You have to decide for yourself. 10). That there is life altering stuff (either gross physical stuff or lifestyle changes) that I don't know of or can't imagine right now that are going to further be a problem or issue, etc. We cannot speak for you. Some sail through this with little to no problems. Others fight it daily. We can't say what will happen to you. Again, create a list of pro's & con's FOR YOU. Then weigh them against each other & decide which way is better for you. For me, my life has not altered drastically. It did immediately following the surgery... for 3 weeks. Then I was back to normal. I can eat out, I can eat with others. They don't even notice I'm banded (I didn't tell many people). Folks normally don't notice how much you eat... and if you take small enough bites, they don't even notice you're chewing more then normal. I'm not quite up to gymnastics (5 weeks post-op), but I am able to do sit-ups & exercises... I am still paranoid at this point, so I do them carefully. If I feel the port "stretching", I go easy. But I can see a difference weekly & I'm sure that soon I won't notice it much if at all.<o></o> 11). Dramatic weight loss causes wrinkles Getting old causes wrinkles. There are steps to take to avoid the weight loss ones. But really, you have to decide if it's worth it to be thinner & have a few wrinkles or be plump & not have wrinkles. Personally, I'm opting for the wrinkles. 12). The whole port thing freaks me out. You do have a foreign object inside you. You can sometimes feel / see it, depending on your body shape & port placement. Mine doesn't show... I can feel it if I try (I have to push on my stomach to feel it). My husband's shows when he's standing in a certain position. You have to know it's there & be looking for it -- it doesn't stick out or anything, there's just a tiny bulge that if you look at both sides you notice is only on one side. For those that lose enough weight that their port is visible, there are port revision surgeries... to get a lower-profile port. 13). What have I left out - you tell me... The thing that I'm struggling with the most currently is anger, lol. It isn't rational, but it's there. I paid a LOT of money & went through a surgery in order to have my portions limited, but I'm ANGRY that I can't eat as much as I want. I'm UPSET that I can't binge! How silly is that? I do realize that this is a head-issue... and I'm working on it. But that, for me, has been the down side. I literally canNOT eat a "value meal" now... in fact, I often cannot finish a sandwich -- and I don't even have good restriction. Mikey tells me to focus on how much money we're saving & how much weight we're losing & how food isn't our priority any more. But I still feel anger, lol. Guess I have to learn to let go! Good luck with your decision. Ask questions, attend multiple seminars. Weight loss surgery is drastic & personal. The band is reversible, but the scars aren't. For me, the scars aren't noticable enough to matter, but I can't say for you. Make sure you really want it before you do it!

Welcome to LBT!! (( Hugs )) for the pain... I'm so sorry you're feeling it! I'm 5 weeks out & still having intense shoulder pain. Now it seems to occur when I'm too hungry or too full. And yeah, sitting is impossible when it's there. Some things to look at: Are you drinking a lot of dairy? I know some of the other recently banded folks got a lot of relief from cutting out dairy for a while. Are you getting over-hungry? If you are, consider taking something munchable on the road. I find that even 1-2 bites helps the pain to fade somewhat. (I'm terrible about waiting too long to eat.) Are you getting over-full? The pain meds: You might be having reactions to them. Perhaps you could try getting off of all of them for 24-48 hours, or use just acetaminophen? Some of the other bandsters from Feb had reactions to pain meds... and of course the reaction was gas. Are you gulping when you drink? Or using a straw? This can cause you to swallow excess air... which leads to more gas feelings. Are you, um, regular? If not, that will lead to more gas as well. Perhaps some Benefiber (or something like that). Remember to make it non-bulking! Good luck, I hope you find your answer!

I'm so tired of everyone picking on Simon. He does say some rude things sometimes, but really, he's trying to be honest. At least he doesn't just say fluff. And I was SOOOOOOOO impressed with Barry Manilow. It was so refreshing to see that they actually get some help! I feel like they're just thrown to the wolves. I saw an interview with the arrangers. They aren't even allowed to tell them that the song they've picked maybe isn't the best one for them. All they can do is arrange it for them. If I was in the contest, I'd want it to be TRAINING. Exercise (physical & vocal); classes: vocal, music production, song writing, dance / movement, etc; performance opportunities, photo shoots, etc. At least for this last week, they got some help! My picks for bottom 3 this week: Bucky, Kelli, Kevin. (Can you tell I'm not a country fan? lol)