SweetBunie

DJ5, I will hope for you the sucess that you desire. Let me tell you that as a food junkie, I did nothing but think of food and when I was going to get my next "fix". For me now that I have the band, I am learning to think on other things and I have found a new world out there where I can enjoy food for the pelasure it gives and then leave it alone. For the first time in my life I am able to say no to something and not cry. I have managed to bring home a doggie bag and not eat it on the way home!! I actually sabved it for lunch the next day!! All of this is because I have learned not to focus on food. This will sound unbelieveable, but I have actually forgotten to eat a meal!!! I was so busy enjoying my time that I looked up at the time and realized that lunch time had passed!! That was a sign for me that I have broken free of the compulsive food addiction that I had. I am not saying that will happen for you, but for me I am finally in control and I have been learning to make better decisions about what I put into my body and how much of it I do put in. For the first time that I can remember, I am enjoying the fact that I had something to eat for the sheer joy of the taste of it and not how much of it I got to eat. That has been what worked for me. I can eat what I want. I just do not eat that much of it. I hope to continue this for the rest of my life and enjoy the good health that comes with losing 125 pounds!! My best to you my friend,:smile2: Nancy

Hello there!!! I have to tell you that I have had my band since April 16th and this has been the easiest thing that I have EVER done to help me lose weight. I have been blessed not to have had some of the negative things happen to me and I have learned that this is a very powerful tool!! You will learn that too, I promise that you will not regret your decision to do this for yourself. The only thing that I have discovered for myself is this, any form of greasy or oily food just sits there and does not move and that is not comfortable for me. But other than that, I have been able to eat anything that I want and enjoy doing so. I eat much less that I ever have and I have lost 30 pounds!! I am right on track, as per my Doctor and he is most pleased with my results and the progress that I am making. Keep looking for the positive and you will find it!!! :smile2: Keep the faith and you will be fine!!! :ohmy: I will remember you in my prayers.

David, I will remember you in prayer that your approval comes quickly. I remember when I was waiting and it seemed like forever. I have had my band since April 16, 2008 and have lost 30 pounds. It has been the easiest thing I have ever done to lose weight. I have been blessed not to have had any of the problems that I have seen that others have had. I thank God for this band and that it has worked so well for me. Keep the faith and you too will be on the path to recovery. :biggrin2:

I am one of the lucky ones. I was given mushy stuff while in the hospital and have done it every day since. I was told to do what I could and let my body tell me what I could take or not. I have been very selective as to what I eat and am doing well. I went to the Doctor at one week and he was happy with what I have done so far. I have lost 11 pounds that week! My boyfriend took me to dinner that night and I had soup and a nibble of some of his dinner and was so happy. I am careful about what I eat and only eat very very limited amounts of very select items. I have lost another pound so I know what I am doing is working for me. Please listen to your doctor and follow his instructions. You will be the better for it. Nancy

Dear Proud Dad, I have to tell you that there is light at the end of the tunnel!! My doctor told me to eat what I wanted when I felt like I could tolorate it. Well, I am up and running and losing at the same time!! My hunny took me out to eat and we had a wonderful time and I was able to nibble on a few things and did not feel deprived one bit!! It was a normal as I could have ever wanted. I just chewed and chewed and chewed and it all went down and stayed down and I was very happy so was my hunny!! You will see that soon you will be able to enjoy your time with your family and eating will not be an issue anymore. Nancy

I have to say to Blund, that I was your friend a few years back. I was the one that was not going to take the 'easy way out' and I was going to do it the right way. Well, here I am with the band in place and humbeled by the memory of those days. I do not remember telling anyone that, but I do remember thinking it. I also know that deep down inside of me I was scared and enveious at the same time. I wanted so badly to lose the weight and get back to a 'normal' size and nothing I did worked or if it did work it was not lasting. It has nothing to do with will power or anything like that. I needed help and I found out after much searching that this was what I would need for me to be healthy. Now that I have made my decison and I have been banded I have been telling anyone that would listen to me how and why I did what I did. I have been blessed with a wonderful group of friends that are more than supportive and a loving family that has encouraged me every step of the way. I have been banded on the 16th and I admit that there is nothing easy about this whole procedure but I am going to use this most valuable tool to help make my life better so that I can enjoy my friends and family that much longer here on this earth!! I hope you can find a way to help your friend to stop hurting your feelings and maybe you can understand hers a little more!! Learn to change the subject there are so many other things to talk about!! Nancy :huh2:

Dear Lookin' Please know that you are human and that you are feeling some very human things right now and you need to stop beatingyourself up and start looking at what you have done that will be for the better!! You have made a choice to become a better you!! Better in so many ways that you will be able to give your hubby many more things that just eating out!! I have to say that I have been able to eat a few things since being banded on the 16th. Go and enjoy the day with your hubby and make him glad that he has you in his life and that you are doing something that will enable you to be healthy and thus be able to be with him for a long time to come. That is a gift we all would want to have, our loved ones with us for a long time. :w00t: This will pass and you will be surprised on just how good you are going to feel in the very near future!! Hang in there!!! We are all here for you and for each other!!! Nancy :huh2:

I agree with the others in the fact that you have made a big decision in changing your life and the reality has come full circle. It is ok to feel the way you do. I did not have "panic attacks" but I did do some "what the hell have I done to myself" thougths. I must admit that with the discomfort and the not being able to give myself my usual pain meds of comfort food. I was a sorry mess. But I got to thinking that nothing comes easy and all really good things in my life have required work. So now it was my time to work!! I just needed to get a different mind set and then it was better for me. I also felt a little better when I got to feel something solid in my mouth. A little warm cereal was a good thing in the morning. *smile* You will feel better as time goes on. I am happy with my decison and I know that the final results of all my hard work will be worth it in the end. I pray that you will find some sort of peace within yourself and that you will soon feel better and better and ready to face your new adventure in your life to a new you!!! Nancy :smile2:

Beckn, I am not sure if age has anything to do with it. But I am taking every bit of my two weeks off!! I also have a desk job that is not much of anything, but I am still too uncomfortable to return just yet. I was banded on the 16th and am going to return on the 1st. I still am tired and not really ready to get all dressed (some clothes bands still hurt my tummy) and off to work just yet. *smile* But I will say that I am feeling better and better every day and I am down 15pounds!! I am so happy about that. BTY I am 53 and I remember having my last child at 25 and having a c-section and taking care of her and me and my other kids with no problem and now I need help just for me!! LOL time takes it toll on everything. I wish for you nothing but the best. Nancy :w00t:

I want to be able to live a healthy life for a very long time. I am so tired of sitting on the sidelines while other get to have all the fun. I want to buy something to wear and not have to think that I could look better, but I don't. I would like to buy something that would be form fitting and that form would not be round and would instead be nice to look at. :sleep: I want to be able to live long enough to be a problem to my children and grandchildren because they could not keep up with me!! :tongue2: My secret desire would be that I would like to have a man look at me and then and the man I am with, and be envious because I belong to another. That would make everything that I have suffered so far worth it. Just for one time and I would be happy forever. Silly, I know but we are all allowed to dream! Nancy :w00t:

Congratulations on taking the steps necessary to become a whole new u!! I was banded on the 16th and am feeling better and better each day. I am not as sore as I was and now I am starting to feel a little more human. *smile* I have satrted cooking again for my hunny and he is glad that I am and because I am eating only soft mushy things he is joining me in my "diet" and he has lost 2 pounds!! he is happy about that as he wants to lose a few himself. It is good to have a support "team" member so close! The fact that I am up and cooking things means that I am getting back into my normal routine and that is a good thing for me. Keep up the good work and you will soon be the new person you want to be. I wish for you the best in your new adventure. Nancy :w00t:

Congratulations on doing so well!!.. I was banded on the 16th and know exactly what you mean about the mashed really hitting the spot!! At least they did with me!! *giggle* I am feeling better and better every day and I am sure that you will too. Keep up the good work and you will reach your goal!! Nancy :w00t:

I know what you mean about wanting something hot. I felt that way too, it was such a good feeling and did help my hunger when I had a cup of warm broth. I like the veggie flavor the best. I know it sounds silly but it worked for me!! Just that one cup was enough to help me move on to other things like stopping my skin from itching. *giggle* I hope you feel better soon. I have been banded on the 16th and have lost 9 pounds since then. I like that better than anything else!! Take Care, Nancy :rolleyes2:

As a person that has ben banded on the 16th, I can relate. The site does not hurt all the time but it most certianly lets me know that it is there!! When I move certian ways OUCH!! It reminds me that it is there, It is getting better everyday. I wish you the best and hopefully it will be much better soon. Nancy :rolleyes2:

I know what you are talking about. When I woke up the pain was a surprise to me!! I did not expect it to be so much. I am feeling better now that I have released the gas that I have and that I have started eating a few things. My doctor told me to eat some muchy stuff once a day along with the protine stuff and I feel wonderful. As much as one can with pain that is *giggle* But when I got on the scale and 4 pounds were missing I can tell you that it is worth it all. You will be just fine and you will be a success too!! Keep telling yourself hat and it will happen for you just like it has for so many others. I take the good pain stuff at night so that I can get a good rest, as your body needs that to heal. Take care, Nancy :biggrin:

Rebecca, I had my band put in on the 16th too!! I cannot belive that I am so uncomfortable!! The pain is worse than I thought it would be but you know what?! I have already lost 4 pounds and that makes me feel much better. I am sure that you will be feeling wonderful and then you can truly start of your new life. I have had all that everyone has stated. Righ now I am dealing with the gas and the escape of it. *giggle* that is kind of funny but not really all that pleasant. My back is feeling better now and I am able to get to my computer and do a little writing. Let the others in your family help you. They are just showing you just how much they care about you. Take care, Nancy :biggrin:

I cannot say if anything is right for another person. I can say that I think that I have found what will be good for me. I think you should do your reasearch and see what YOU think about all that you find. There is lots out there and I can only speak for me, but I have been wanting this for a few years now and only now have everything been in place for me to have it done. I am blessed to have the support of my family and my boyfriend and of course the circle of friends that are in my life. I will remember you in my prayers that you will be shown the way for you to go and that you get the answers you are looking for. Nancy

I thought that we were ideally supposed to lose between 1 to 2 pounds a week. You sound like you are about there. Are you feeling better now that you have lost that amount of weight? I will not be banded until the 16th so I really cannot tell you more. I know that you will do what you set out to do. Have a blessed day, Nancy :huh2:

Kristy, Thank you so much for the prayers!! I am a firm believer in prayer and I feel that one can never have too many said for them. I will be here anytime you want to talk about Lousisiana. I really enjoyed living there. I am originally from California and I came to Louisiana by way of Memphis, Tennessee. I have lived a few places due to my job. When Katrina hit, my office was destroyed and my job asked if there would be anyone that would be interested in a transfer. Well, since I am not a native, I said that I would like to move. So here I am in El Paso. I love it here. I am a "bloom where you are planted" kind of person and I have learned to like my new home. The only thing is that I cant get a shirmp po' boy anywhere!! ROFL :biggrin2: Honestly, I am so ready to give all of that up and to move on to the next phase of my life with somthing that will be so much better for me. WE can do it!!! Have a blessed day, Nancy :huh2:

I wanted to tell you that first of all here in this site there are pleanty of people here to support you as you make your decisions on how you want to proceed. So many here to encourage you as you seek out what you want to know. I am very blessed to have a nice circle of friends that are supportive of me and my decison to be banded. As I do not have any family here to help me, I have been blessed to have my friends. I live in Texas however, I do not have your insurance provider. I wish you the best in your search for all the information you need to help you do what you want to do with your life. Nancy :huh2:

:crying: As I have been saying all along, I am one of the blessed ones as far as support goes. But today was a real happy one for me. I was telling a co-worker about my upcoming surgery and she was so interested in what I was going to do that we talked for over 30 minutes and she was so very supportive. She is going to look into it for herself. she told me that I was an insperation to HER!! As she had been thinking about it for a while now. Of course I told her about this site and told her to jump in and that everyone would give her all the information she could want and of course the encouragement too!! I told her that was the best part of this site. All of you!! I was a nice experiance for me. Have a blessed day!! Nancy :thumbup:

Jana, I will think of you and hope that everything is wonderful for you. Let us know how it goes. I am right behind you on the 16th!!! April is a good month!! Nancy :thumbup:

Hey Dito! I like the humor. It reminds me of my friend that had a bypass. He went in to his boss's office to talk about the needed time off for his surgery and my friend told his boss that he was having a sex change operation!!! He told me that the look on his boss's face was priceless!!! Life is too short not to have some giggles every now and then. Like I have said before, I am one of the blessed ones in that all that I have told and I have told lots of people, I have gotten about 99% positive feedback!! I have have kidded with a few of my friends and told them that I was having a face lift!! That always gets a chuckle!! Keep smiling!! Nancy

Kristi, I will be thinking and praying for you when your day comes. I will be right behind you on the 16th!! I have been in El Paso since Katrina and I do miss all the wonderful food that Louisiana has. But as you know we both need to focus on other things and we WILL make a positive change in our lives!!! Keep on being strong in your decision and you will do well. Nancy:rolleyes2:

I have not been banded yet (I will be on the 16th!) but I can say that this site is a Wonderful place!! Lots of sharig of informtion and even more encouragement!! That is a good thing! Good lck in your Quest for information. Nancy