Ri-Ri

Cindy, I'm Kevin's friend, please PM me.

Hi Julie, So you've been banded for a couple weeks and still aren't feeling well? I'd like to know more about that if you don't mind sharing. I'm considering the surgery, but would probably have to go back to work full time after a week off. I've heard people say they have gone back right away. Are you having a lot of trouble? I'm still in the nervous stage about this surgery.

There are meetings/dinners in Plano? I'd like to know more about that please.

This is such a complex topic and I've read so many things I relate to. Basically I was thin until my mid 20s - could eat ANYTHING and not gain. So I got into the habit of eating whatever I wanted - lots of southern cooking. Got a little older, slowed down after I got married, had a few female problems and their subsequent 'treatments', got fat. I LOVE to GORGE myself on food. I can eat a whole serving bowl of pasta and butter. It is one of my favorite gorge foods. Not much of a sweets eater, but love the salt. Went from 95 pounds at 18 years old to 135 in my early 30s to 185 in my mid 30s, to 230 in my late 30s. Lost down to 180 again when I was 40 and now at 46 am 290 pounds. I am fat and disgusted with myself. I don't like to exercise because I get tired (duh!) and i hate the way I look. When I see myself I just want to scream! I need to eat less, it's not rocket science, but why can't I? I'm not 'hungry' excessively but I DO have appetite excessively - two completely different things. I crave things when my body/stomach isn't even asking for food. I hate this. I'm still wavering on getting the band and I wonder WHY? Am I going to have to have a stroke first? AND a little voice in my head says "you won't be able to eat all that good stuff any more, don't do it". GEEZ little voice SHUT UP!

:help: Hello, Thank you for speaking with me. Many questions, doubts, confusion... My doctor recently told me basically lose 150# or else. I weigh 295# - I weigh more than some farm animals....My blood pressure is high, my diabetes is in poor control, apnea, cholesterol, you name it - and every year he has to increase my meds. I'm only 46, I feel like I'm 56 and I'll be lucky to make it to 56 without a stroke or heart attack or kidney failure. He said might be time for lapband. So many people that I've mentioned this to are opposed to me having it done. "You're not that fat", "just diet and exercise", "that's for people who are really sick", "that's a cop out for only 150#", "surgery is only for people who are REALLY fat", etc. I'm 6 feet tall so I don't look as heavy as I really am. And I agree with some of the things that have been said. Why DON"T I just diet and exercise? I suspect that's the $10,000 question for a lot of people in this boat. It's not like I'm not physically capable of exercise, I am. I just don't do it. And yes, I could shut my jaws, but I don't. Part of the problem is I was always thin until mid 30s and I still think like a thin person. And I hear comments all over the board - you can't eat many things, you can't take any pill form medicine, you shouldn't do this until you've tried every diet and exhausted all other possibilities. Well how will I take my meds if I can't swallow a pill? I have these big tablets for PCOS that can't be cut up. What about capsules? Why can't you take them? What kinds of things can't you eat? I don't want to spend the rest of my life having to draw attention to my 'special needs' eating. Will it be worth it to me overall or will I just be an unhappy whiner - I have reflux, my port bothers me, I want a steak, whine whine whine. I hear people talking about making a commitment to your band. Well how do you do that when you've not been able to commit to diet and exercise in the past? It's not like you wake up with a whole new brain... And what if you vomit? I mean really vomit, not PBing. How can something as tiny as a straw handle something as violent as full on stomach flu vomiting without damaging something? And do you feel your port like if it presses up against something or someone presses up against you? Basically I think this is a cop out for me and I'm ashamed of myself for even considering it since I SHOULD just diet and exercise it off. One minute I'm like YES I'm doing this and the next I'm like what the hell are you thinking you lazy ass. I hope I've made some sense and I hope I haven't said anything rude. Your insights would really help. Thank you.

I live in Allen. I'm researching the surgery and would LOVE for a bunch of us to get together.

If we could all just stop bringing in the 'tempting' food or just saying no, wouldn't we all BE thin already and not need the band? I've been hearing "just stop..." for years and it hasn't worked for me or I wouldn't be FAT!

I recently went on CPAP and I feel so much better. I had those headaches and the foggy thinking almost every single day. I thought I would NEVER be able to sleep in that dang mask, but I haven't had much trouble at all. I don't know what kind you have, but there are about a dozen different configurations, so maybe a different kind of mask would help. To avoid the smothering feeling when I first turn it on, I take a deep breath, hold it, turn on the machine and exhale against the flow for the first breath. Then I seem to be fine. Otherwise I feel like I choke or some weird chlostrophobic feeling. I have the real 'mask', but if the size of it is bothering you, you can get the nasal pillows which are smaller. For some reason the pillows seemed to bother me, so I went witht he mask. If the flow rate is bothering you, they can turn it down at first to give you some time to adjust. My machine has a 'step-up' after 10 minutes. It starts off about 1/2 flow and then steps up gradually. Don't give up on it because is does help so much. Good Luck!

Thank you all for your kind words & tough words. You are right it IS my journey, no matter what anyone else says. I also know it will be a tough journey and I want to go into it fully informed and ready. I appreciate the honesty. I went to an online support group when I had my hysterectomy and I KNOW that I fared better than I would have doing it on my own. Sure my doctor can tell me what to 'expect' or what it's 'like', but unless s/he has lived it, it's not the same. The ladies on that board had SO much advice/support, that I wasn't afraid and I knew how to prepare and best recover. Has anyone used the BARIX group of doctors? Their site looked impressive, but anyone can build a nice website.