Melody2006

I was on Diamox sequels that didn't work, and Topamax. Both did not work for me. I was a complete mess. I'm talking full out excruciating tears daily. I just could not function. I'm now with in 4 pounds of a normal BMI for my height of 5'3. I still get normal headaches off and on even now that I have a VP shunt. Let me tell you I don't feel that weight loss is the key to this disease. I just don't. I don't feel like loosing all this weight has helped my PTC disease one bit. It's helped my health over all, but not my PTC disease that my shunt keeps in remission. And I fear the day my VP shunt fails again. Deep inside I know it will. I feel I'm facing a life time of revisions like the above poster. When my shunt is working I'm symptom free, I'm a normal person. When it's not working all my symptoms come back full force. I'm in constant headache hell and I'm throwing up everything due to the extreme head pressure. I'm convinced when and if my shunt fails again, loosing this 123 pounds I've lost won't make a bit of difference in symptoms compared to being 123 pounds heavier when my vp shunt failed. The shunt gave me my life back. Get a VP shunt. It's hell when you first have it placed (you go bald, they cut all your muscles inside to thread the tube down your spine and that healing up feels horrible), but you'll get your life back. And revisions aren't anything like the 1st initial placement.

I'm 5 pounds to my goal of 135. When I hit 140 I hit the correct BMI range for my height of 5'3. It's hard to believe I only have 5 pounds left to loose. Everyone asks me what I do for meals and stuff. I'm not a big "meal" person. I still track all my intake on http://www.livestrong.com/thedailyplate/ I don't think it's hit me completely yet I only have 5 more pounds to go. And I'm about to hit my 1 year lap band anniversary on July 15. I would really like to be at goal by my 1 year lapband anniversary.

I'm 5 pounds to my goal of 135. When I hit 140 I hit the correct BMI range for my height of 5'3. It's hard to believe I only have 5 pounds left to loose. Everyone asks me what I do for meals and stuff. I'm not a big "meal" person. I still track all my intake on http://www.livestrong.com/thedailyplate/ I don't think it's hit me completely yet I only have 5 more pounds to go. And I'm about to hit my 1 year lap band anniversary on July 15. I would really like to be at goal by my 1 year lapband anniversary.

I have psuedo tumor cerebri disease. I was unable to get control with medication and had to have a VP shunt done. I have been symptom free since my shunt. I did have it stop working once and got very sick and had to have a replacement. After my replacement, I had lapband done and I'm now 5 pounds to goal. I doubt I would be symptom free and in remission as I am now if I didn't have a VP shunt even with being the correct BMI. I'm curious to hear anyone elses storys that have PTC disease.

I have to calorie count. I log every single bite that passes my lips in an online food journal. I believe it's the single key to my success and why I have not had any plateaus and have lost the weight. I wish I could eat with out thinking, but that's what got me fat in the first place. That, and I couldn't stop after a small amount. I know feeling full won't stop me either. The minute I could get more of the "bad" foods down, I'd go back for more. So why even have it in the house? I'm not perfect, and I've had several "bad" days in the last 10 months being banded. But I've always left the house to have those and I never brought it home with me. I refuse to let myself live like that ever again. Don't need garbage in my house, and no one else in it NEEDS it either!

I've lost 109 pounds so far and I don't feel I need a tummy tuck. I have 13 pounds to go and the only thing I do notice is my upper arms are flabby. I should be doing weights on them and I think that would help. I was just complaining to my mom the other day and she said when you get it on in bed it all lays down flat and guys don't notice. I laughed and felt better. Unless you have the cash, or really have issues with your body AFTER you get to your goal weight, I say forget the surgery.

I have 13 pounds left to loose and I'm going through all of this. I'm afraid of being my goal weight on one hand. And now I feel like everyone is watching and looking at me now, before I was invisible. I have more self esteem as a person now. So many changes and learning lessons for me through this journey. I'd like to hear some updates to previous posters of this thread who were going though self struggles. This is an old thread. Do things get better later on?

This was a great read and I agree completely. We are products of our environment and the company we keep. I think this applys to our eating habits as well.

I've lost 108 pounds in the last 10 months and I have 15 pounds left to go to reach 135. I'm amazed how well I've done. I know it's all because I started food journaling on thedailyplate.com at the start and I've stuck to it. I never had a plateau, and never really became an exercise junky. This last month has been really emotionally hard and I've learned some tough lessons. Like you don't gain self esteem just because you loose weight. I had biggest lap band inspiration show me this in actions this month. Completely breaks my heart. *sigh* Its been tough this last month for me to stay on track. No one in my life gives a darn about dieting and now that I'm so close to goal they definitely are tired of watching me make healthy choices. Pitfalls to bad diet choices are everywhere. Every day is a struggle to do the right thing for myself. I admit this month has been really hard emotionally learning some really tough lessons, but I've never looked better on the outside. I'm in a ladies medium top and size 9 jeans. Now I just have to fix the inside by the time I loose the last 15 to goal.

I've lost 108 pounds in the last 10 months and I have 15 pounds left to go to reach 135. I'm amazed how well I've done. I know it's all because I started food journaling on thedailyplate.com at the start and I've stuck to it. I never had a plateau, and never really became an exercise junky. This last month has been really emotionally hard and I've learned some tough lessons. Like you don't gain self esteem just because you loose weight. I had biggest lap band inspiration show me this in actions this month. Completely breaks my heart. *sigh* Its been tough this last month for me to stay on track. No one in my life gives a darn about dieting and now that I'm so close to goal they definitely are tired of watching me make healthy choices. Pitfalls to bad diet choices are everywhere. Every day is a struggle to do the right thing for myself. I admit this month has been really hard emotionally learning some really tough lessons, but I've never looked better on the outside. I'm in a ladies medium top and size 9 jeans. Now I just have to fix the inside by the time I loose the last 15 to goal.

It's called low self esteem. And you know a dominant spouse knows how to manipulate their partner if they know they have low self esteem. I've recently learned the hard way with weight loss you don't just gain love for yourself and self esteem. Many (not all) that loose the weight just stay with mentally abusive spouses. Guess someone that was really overweight and took a blow to their self esteem will easily let themselves and their needs take a back seat to do whats easy and what others think is "right" despite how they feel inside. It took them this long to loose the weight, how long is it gonna take them to stand up for themselves and stick to it? :scared2: Just one more blow to the healthy lifestyle for the low self esteem spouse.

The sooner you decide to stand up for yourself, the sooner you'll be at goal. Every time you don't it's one small step (of many, many more) backwards for you. If you don't stand up this time, you won't the next time it happens again. And it will happen again because you let it happen the first time. Also if you don't, your not making a lifestyle change for yourself and not letting others realize this is a lifestyle change for you that you will be sticking to and they need to respect that. You set the future for letting it repeat and it will be a constant battle and steps back for you. Being ambiguous is how we got fat in the first place. None of us want to go back to that. Whats so hard or wrong about saying, that/this no longer works for me. If you don't respect yourself, others won't respect you, and your just shooting yourself in the foot. You'd be surprised how quickly people get over it. This is a real powerful thread all of us need to read.

Food journal every bite that goes in your mouth. It's a pain, but it's hard facts you have to look at and then you know whats holding you back. Calorie Counter, Diet Tracking, Food Journal, Nutrition Facts at The Daily Plate It's free and simple to use and it's been my biggest key to success. :crying:

I see over and over people who think if you get lapband you no longer have to calorie count/ diet. Those always seem to be the ones who fail and play the fill/unfill game. Its a big waste of time, money, and puts your lapband at risk (to slippage, etc) . Don't be fooled, you have to diet. That's why so many get taught how to pre-banding with what ever program you went threw to get banded. And thats why you hear over and over the band is just a TOOL. It's not the cure. You don't do your part (diet & exercize) it's not going to work. Just like my lawn mower isn't going to mow the grass if I don't get out there and do the work. The lapband is no cure for your food addiction. Either are fills. You have to put in the work if you want it to work. I know so many want to believe thats not true or make excuses. Just remember thats how you got heavy in the first place. I was also told most likely you only get one shot at weight loss surgery, so if you don't put in the work to make that work, you've shot your chance to make the drastic means work. Weight loss surgery is pretty drastic means to loose weight and if you want to be in denial and blow that, be ready to accept staying overweight. Harsh, but true.

I was sort of scared because I didn't have a lot of support. Even lost a few friends at the time because of it. But at that point I knew how being fat just wasn't working. This might be my last shot to change I thought. Change for real. Now it's 9 months later and I'm so glad I went through all that hard stuff (the liquid diet, the classes) with no support, and I'm scared to even think what I would be now if I didn't make that scary change. I just wish I would have done it sooner. All that wasted time makes me sad to even think of missing out on all that happiness. Life is short, don't waste it. :laugh:

I can't believe I'm 9 months out from lapband and I have 19 pounds to my goal weight. 140 is the bmi for my height to be a normal bmi, so I'm 14 pounds from being average weight for my height of 5'3. It's hard to believe I never hit a real plateau and never gave up. I had bad days, but always got right back on track. The last few days (last 3 days) I've had some personal issues and been in a real depression and my band is so tight I'm barely eating 500cals a day. I eat egg beaters and they lay on top of my band and I want to puke them up. I'm forcing myself to push fluids, focus on protein and fiber. I don't want to loose my health. I've come so far. And I'm so close to goal. I keep telling myself this depression and life issues is temporary and I will make it, that everyone has this feeling sometimes, and to focus on the long run and not let my good habits go. I still carry my pedometer in my pocket daily and have been forcing myself to walk out in the sunshine. 10,000 + steps a day. I start a new job in 2 weeks that really isn't 100% of what I wanted. But none the less it's a start in the right direction. I keep telling myself it's a start. And it was half of what I wanted.