iteachurkid

Allie, I'm right there with you. My 10 month bandiversary was this past Friday the 17th. I told the doctor when I saw him for my fill on Friday that I would have never in a million years, dreamt this would have been this succesful. It's truly a blessing. I often wonder why I didn't do this sooner!!! Congrats to us all...wonder how much we have all lost together. Wouldn't that be fun to find out Have a great evening!

Hey Allie! My sister lives in Newport News, not to far from Norfolk. Bedford is in the western part of the state. Richmond is probably a little closer to Norfolk, but would be a pretty close half way point :wink2: I've lived in the suburbs of Richmond my whole life, so I know no different (and honestly don't ever plan too :sad:). I love this area. The weather can be a pain at times (always so close to a big snow in the winter that turns out to be all rain, and really humid in the summer), but I love it! When would you be moving? Have a great afternoon everyone!

Well everything is going fine so far after my big ole' fill on Friday. I started soft foods today and have done fine so far. One more day of soft foods then it's back to normal :thumbup: Allie, I'm so sorry to hear about your husbands job. It's so hard to remember that God doesn't give us more than we can handle...especially in a situation like this. If you move to VA, what part are you thinking about moving to? I'd love it if you were close!! Joann, I'm so glad things are going well for you this time around! Sounds like your Mary Kay is going as well as my Pampered Chef. Don't you love setting your schedule :thumbup: I have a super busy week this week and want to attempt to start walking/running in the afternoons. It's supposed to rain the next three days though which are the only three days this week I have time after work. Oh well I'll make it all work! Hope everyone has had a great weekend!!! Jennifer

Well my week of doctors appointments is over I had a fill today. They put 5.8cc's back in. I hate being on liquids, but oh well :sad: Only tonight and tomorrow. I saw my OBGYN today as well. He is the one last year who told me I needed to do something and referred me to my surgeon. He was so proud of me. It's such a good feeling. Well I have the girl's coming over for Bunco tonight...alcohol is a liquid...right?!?! Haha! Don't think I should do too much drinking with out anything on my stomach Have a great evening and weekend everyone! Jennifer

Congrats girl!!! That is AWESOME!!! Can't wait to hear more about it

Allie, you are too young to be shrinking...sure the tape measure wasn't missing a couple if inches I heard that lady sing on ET tonight, Oh. My. Gosh. She is amazing!! Watching Idol now then off to bed after my busy day. Night Junies

Hey everyone! Well I saw my doctor today and I'd lost 7 pounds in the last 5 weeks. He was shocked since I don't have any Fluid in my band. He said 95% of people without fluid gain and was so proud of me. It really made me feel good!! I'm going to start talking at seminars as well. Wish I got perks like free fills, but I don't think I do. I can't believe my year is almost up (fills and office visits covered for the first year). Gotta get where I need to be before June 17th I then went to my regular doctor and his nurse thought I was my sister. I hadn't been there since September and they were all amazed at how much I'd lost. My doctor told me I was his lap-band success story as I'm his only patient who has ever lost more than 50 pounds. Then I went to my nutritionist (yes it was a very busy morning ) and we talked about my goal weight. My surgeon said I could weight 137 (I'm 5'6 1/2) and she feels like that is way too low. Guess we'll just have to wait and see. I told her I'd like to be 148 (just want to be under 150). It's crazy to me that that is less than 50 pounds away! You girls are definitely going to beat me to goal, but I hopefully won't be more than a few months behind. I'd love to be at goal by Christmas (and I hope that that is giving me extra time). At 148 I would have lost 164 pounds...wow, that's just crazy! I have a fill on Friday to start building fluid back in my band. I hate fills, but am cautiously optimistic that it will go ok. Have a great evening! Jennifer

Thanks Allie! I just went on and figured out how to look at your pics (bigger than a thumbnail :smile:). Girl you are SKINNY! You look amazing! I love looking at before and after pics. It's weird b/c I never saw myself as big as I was. I look back now and can't believe I let myself get like that. Have a wonderful afternoon everyone! Jennifer

You look awesome!!! Congrats on the 180's!! I can't wait to be there with you!

Hey everyone! I've been on spring break and just finished catching up on everyone! Hope you all had a great Easter! I spent the first half of my spring break in Miami Beach on a trip I earned with The Pampered Chef. It was amazing! I had so much fun! Lucy, I'm so glad to hear your business is going well! Maybe we'll get to meet next year in Disney!! It's back to work tomorrow. I have an appointment with my surgeon and nutritionist on Tuesday and a fill on Friday. I've got two months left (my self-pay amount covered the first year of treatment), so I need to talk to my doctor Tuesday about what things are going to look like after June 17th of this year. I have no fluid in my band now and also need to find out how often they will let me get a fill. I've done well with out fluid, but know that I'll see the weight come off faster once I have some fluid :blushing: I got back on the Wii Fit today...one small step at a time. I'm gonna get up and exercise in the am before work. If I wait until I get home, it just doesn't get done. I did a little shopping this week. I just love Ann Taylor Loft. It's so wonderful to be able to walk into stores and just buy clothes! I'm a size 14 pants and a medium top. I even have a few dresses that are 12's :confused: I need to stop buying clothes though...I went through my closet and realized I have a LOT. If I'm planning on getting smaller, I need no more now :biggrin: I'm attaching a picture of my sister and I in Miami. (I'm on the right with the cardigan covering my arms :thumbup:) I have to say it's one of the first times I've seen a pic of myself and thought, wow, I look pretty darn good It's a great feeling! I'm going to bed early tonight...it's back to work tomorrow :thumbdown: Have a great evening!!! :crying: Jennifer

Well it finally happened today...ONEDERLAND!!! I'm so freaking excited. I didn't know whether to cry or scream when I got on the scales this morning. I'm just so proud of myself b/c after having the complete unfill I was worried I'd be able to eat too much. This has really taught me that my eating habits have truly changed...small portions are plenty and they fill me up, it's great! I hope everyone is doing well and feeling better from all the sicknesses and overfills. Have a great evening everyone!

Hey guys! It's been a while and I'm trying to catch up on posts. Lucy, I'm so glad your bday ended up well. You did a show on your b-day?!?! You are a better girl than me Long, OMG, I'm so thankful that your husband is okay. God truly does show up in our life in times when we really need him. Allie, good luck with your daughter...I don't have kids, so I'm not sure I can give much advice/help. I'll just send prayers your way! I'm doing so much better tonight than I was a week ago. I started back on solids yesterday and things are going down fine. It's weird to have no restriction. I'm still trying to only eat 1/4c servings, but they don't in any way fill me. My doctor told me to call the end of this coming week to get a fill as he wanted me to wait about three weeks before they started putting fluid back in my band. I just relized, that would have me getting filled, like 2 days before I leave for a trip I earned to Miami Beach, FL. So, it's going to be like a month with no restriction. I just wonder how quickly they'll get me back to where I was. He said they'd could do a fill every 2-3 weeks to get me back where I need to be. My fills are covered for a year and as hard to believe as it is, that's through June 17th. He wanted me as close to perfect by then as we could be. Guess we'll just have to play it by ear. Ok, gotta go to bed. I'm going outlet shopping tomorrow and I can't wait. I so love being able to go into any store and try on clothes...it's something so many people take for granted. Night Junies

Hey guys! We'll I've been having some issues the last two days. I've been unable to keep anything (except for water and soup) down. I called the doctor on call today and he thinks it sounds like my band has slipped. I've been pretty emotional as I feel like I have done everything right. I did have some issues a while with being too full and then throwing up, so maybe that's what did it. He told me to call first thing in the morning to get an appointment. If you could say a prayer that if it is a slip, it's not bad and it can be fixed through a couple of weeks of liquids. I am self-pay and don't know what I'll do if God forbid I have to have another surgery. The thought of something wrong and them having to take my band brings tears to my eyes. I feel like you all are truly the only ones who understand. Thanks in advance! Love you guys!

I just posted on the Daily News thread that it looks like I'm all okay. Thanks so much for all of your prayers!!!

Hey all! Thanks so much for the prayers! I went and saw my doctor today and thinks something I ate irritated the area around my band and I have a case of gastritis (sp?). He really doesn't think my band has slipped and felt it would be a waste of time and my money to do an upper GI. He took all of the fluid out and wants me on liquids for two days, soft for two days and then back to regular foods. He said if I start having issues with regular food to call him back and he'll do the xray, but I'm planning on no problems. He said we'll start refilling my band in a few weeks. I'm so relieved and realized today how glad I am that my doctor is who he is. He's just the best. The best part...by their scales, I'm 199. Now, I know that's not official as my official number is on my scales at home, but none the less, I'm REALLY close to onederland :laugh: Thanks again everyone! You all are the best!! :tt2: Jennifer

Hey guys! Sorry I've been MIA recently. Life has been crazy, and I haven't bene on the computer a whole lot. I posted a seperate thread, but I'd have had a whole lot of issues the last two days. Not sure what happened, but after talking to the on call doctor today he thinks my band has slipped. I'm so upset, scared, etc. I'm supposed to go in first thing in the morning and have an upper GI and ALL the fluid taken out of my band. I just hope I don't have to have surgery again. I've done everything I'm supposed to do, eaten small portions. The only thing I can think of is a while back after I was really tight, I pbed and threw up several times. I ended up having a slight unfill and felt much better. I was completely fine on Friday and woke up yesterday and can't keep anything down. I know the doctor on call didn't know me at all today, but when I asked what would make my band slip, he said (kind of rudely) overeating. If there is one thing I DON'T do it's overeat. I eat small portions. I was so upset and told him I'd lost 106 pounds in less than 9 months and I DID NOT overeat. He then told me it could be from vomiting. I just want to go to the doctor and know what's wrong. Hope everyone else is doing better than I am. Allie it looks like you are rocking and rolling! Long, I've been stuck losing like a pound a week for the last 5 weeks. Plateaus suck!! Have a good evening!

I'd love to get together and finally meet everyone! My issues are going to be time off work and money, but I would love to make it work!! Long and Allie, our stories are so similar. I was self pay also and it was right at 2 months from when I went to the seminar to when I had surgery. It's hard to believe this time last year, I hadn't even thought about this. Wow, how time can change things. I just realized today was my 8 month bandiversary. What an amazing 8 months! Have a great evening everyone!!!

Long, is this it? Women's D/DD-cup Beach Living Damask Floral Underwire V-neck Swim Top from Lands' End If so, it's back :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

Oh Long, that sucks! What did it look like? I'm a tad bit Lands End Overstock section obsessed :thumbup: Stuff disappears and then sometimes comes back. If I see it, I'll let you know. The one I got is green with white dots on the top and then just dots on the bottom...I guessed on the size and still haven't tried it (I figure I've got at least 6 weeks until bathing suit time :cursing:). Crossing my fingers that it will show back up for you!!

Yep, we went to King of Prussia...I LOVE that place :thumbup: It's the best. Congrats on what sounds like lots of great buys! We didn't make it to Gap or NY & Co. My new favorite store is Ann Taylor Loft. They have such cute clothes!!! I got a jacket there and it's a medium!! Who would have ever thought :cursing: I have the same leg issues...capri's have to be cut a certain way for them to fit my calves. It's frustrating. I bought a tankini from Lands End...I love their overstock section. You can get some really good deals. Off to get ready for Extreme Makeover and Desperate. Hope everyone has a great evening! :crying: Jennifer

So I went to the doctor yesterday for my unfill. He took out .4ccs. I had forgotten that it didn't have to hurt when I ate. The difference is amazing. I'm so glad I decided to go get it done!! I'm in Philadelphia visiting my sister and we went shopping today...man did we have fun!! It'e been a long time since shopping was fun. I'm down to a 14 or 16 and it's grest. I love being able just to go in a store and be able to find things that fit :scared2: Well I hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day! Night

Lucy, you are going to LOVE selling Pampered Chef. I've been selling for over three years and I really, really love it. It's an awesome company to work for. If you ever have any questions, just let me know!!

Thanks Long! That's Annie my black lab in the picture. I also have a maltese/pekignese mix but he was outside playing when I took the pictures. They are my babies. Hope you mouth is feeling okay. I have had an abscessed tooth before and the pain was awful...I had a root canal as well and was so happy when the whole process was over. I hate the dentist (have to go a week from Monday). I've said often my hell would be a row of dentists chairs :crying:

Hey everyone! We'll it happened today. I thought I'd had food stuck before...I hadn't. I took one bite at lunch and that was it. I can officially say I've slimed now (um, where does that stuff come from). Let me tell you when you are teaching 11 year olds and running back and forth to the bathroom it is not fun. I called my doctor. I've thought since the week after I had the fill that it was too tight. I've decided it is. I can't live like this. They are able to get me in on Friday morning for a small unfill. It's weird b/c some days I feel like I have pretty good restriction, but then other days it's like over the top restriction (that would have been today). When drinking water gives you indigestion, something's wrong. Needless to say, I'm hungry, but a little scared to eat. I may go try some broth or something. On a completely different note, I had a wow moment on Tuesday. We had a team party at school (where our kids get awards and eat :crying:). All of these parents were there helping. One of the teachers on my team told me that she had thought twice that one of the parent's was me. I looked at her and wow, she is sooo much smaller than I see myself. It was a definite wow moment. I'm going to attempt to attach before surgery and today pictures (ignore the mess in the background :laugh:). The before surgery pics are down 17 pounds (I wish I'd have taken one prior to the liver shrinking diet) and then I took the others today. I'm so glad I've taken pictures, b/c I have such a hard time seeing the weight I've lost. Every now and then I catch a reflection of myself or a shadow and am shocked that it's me. Even though I know I look different, I still see the 312 pound me. I guess that's just gonna take time. Have a great evening everyone!!!

Hey everyone! It's been a crazy 9 or so days and while I've been on reading up, I haven't had time to post. Long, congrats on hitting 104!! Since I hit 101, it's been slow going. I'm at 102 now. Things have been really crazy, and I haven't been exercising like I should. I'm sure this has something to do with it :thumbup: I'm so excited to read of everyone's successes! The pictures are great. When I got back and look at my monthly pics, it really helps me see how far I've come. I hope everyone has a great rest of your weekend!! :thumbup: Jennifer