Cynthia5

...hummm havent been here for a little bit...been dealing with cancer and just 2 mths ago was had 1/3 of my pancreas removed for pre-cancer...so its been a whirlwind. I also had to have my fill removed for a colonoscopy when the gastro doc decided that he wanted to do an endoscope...found I have pre-cancer of the esophogus too...sigh. I have lost a total of 130pd..but gained about 15 back...going tuesday to get a fill. The most I have ever had in my band is 4.5cc's and we had to back it up the.5cc's so I've never had comfortably more than 4cc's in my band, my doc says that is nearly unheard of...so I have no idea...right now I only have 1.5cc's and will probably get 1cc added...need that extra bit the jeans are feelin a little snug and I dont like that...funny how the added weight feels heavier than any of the weight I have lost! Im looking to really only lose about 10 of the 15pds, but I am doing Wii boxing and bowling...LOVE THAT! Hope all are well.

...what website?

just posted above...thanks for checkin in on me!!! (((hugs)))

I am! Thank you for checking in on me!! This week hasnt been as good as last week, but I am not going to beat myself up for it. Every day is a new day. I went yesterday for another fill, now I am up to 4cc's and that seems to be my magic number, I can feel the restriction when I eat and I have been missing that for the last 3mths since the band slip. Again, thanks for checkin in on me! I appreciate it!! (((hugs)))

I really want to start the exercise thing again, been really tired this week. I work late shift, work form home which is nice, and I plan on doing my Turbo Jam during my lunch hour. I want this extra weight to get off me..PLUS my nephews wedding is in Sept and I bought this AMAZING red dress to wear! Very 40's with a scoop sweetheart neckline and a peek-a-boo panel of white with red polkadots...my man, bought me the re peek-a-boo toe heels to go with it - YUM! I just fit into the dress and a few pds less on me would make it just that much better fitting...I really want some accountability, so maybe some of you could check in on me see if and how I am doing? I would appreciate it. *smiles*

Thanks 1day at a time! I know what you mean about going a bit crazy when the doc took the Fluid out - it felt soo good to just eat when I hadnt been able to eat for a month...but that only lasted about a week, when I realized the weight was coming on too quickly! *winks* Now I am fighting the tide! *smiles* It is kinda scary to think that we really survive on 900-1200 calories when the fill is really just right...not scary when the band is in place but scary to think that GOD FORBID, it would ever have to come out! I was so scared when they found the band slipped and took the fluid out that I would need surgery to correct it or worse...and ppl outside of the realm we live in now dont understand that making this choice does not make things easier for us at all. I dont know about any of you but I have heard many things including the line that I have taken the easy way out.

Kimaly, thanks for the encouragement, I needed it. It has been a very rough 2 yrs, 4 if I include the dbl mastectomy. 2yrs ago my Daddy passed, I am a Daddys girl, always will be...and within 6mths of that, got divorced. I dont regret the divorce, long story but it was a very difficult marriage with no support during those 2 very huge events in my life, let alone the WLS. But there have been blessings along the way...I am a survivor, I have lost 100pds, I have had an add'l 3 grand babies, making my love total 5...5 is the number of grace...the 5th was just born on July 1st, the 2nd anniversary of my Daddys passing. She has made a very difficult day one of grace and a day to rejoice. I have a wonderful man in my life that I am doing life with and when I told him on our first date about having had a dbl mastectomy, cuz when do you tell someone about that? He got up, hugged me, told me I was brave and then pulled back and asked, did you think that would bother me? I said I didnt know, my ex never once saw me and for some men it could be a deal breaker...his response was that if that was the case for him,he didnt deserve me...I think that was the moment I fell in love with him! We will be together 1 yr Aug 18th. ...so I do need to keep fighting the good fight and not let these 22pds have any power over me...just get rid of them! *smiles* Charlene, thanks for the encouragement and for explaining the sleeve. It sounds like the byass, is it similar?

We DO rock! Even though I had issues with my lapband slipping and have gained 22pds as a result of removing the fluid, I feel like I am basically starting over again. Right now, I feel like my body went into starvation mode cuz I was hardly eating anything and losing so fast, that when the doc took the fluid out and I was able to eat, my body is now holding onto whatever I do eat, even though I am eating healthy and counting calories...which was the most frustrating thing for me before...my body nearly demanded that I eat so little to lose weight that it wasnt healthy. Now that my tummy is healed up and the band is in place, I am praying that I can get this weight off in a healthy way. I have found that this 22pds has weighed on me more than the 100pds I have lost...I feel it more and I dont like it. I saw a picture of myself recently and was SHOCKED to see that I was not as heavy as I FEEL. I am in a size 12/13 or L depending on the clothes and that is not fat, but mentally/emotionally I fight grabbing those sizes cuz it has been sooooo long since I have worn them that my brain gravitates to a size more *reasonable* like a 14 or a xxl...like I cant possibly be smaller than a 14 or a xxl. Then I keep saying to myself it is ONLY 22pds get over it, your tummy was sick, just deal with it and if this is the only weight you have to deal with for the rest of your life, that is a GOOD thing! Anyone else have these things come up? It really is the first time I have run into them within myself. I dont care about how my body looks after losing the weight, I know how to dress this body. *smiles* I have stretch marks from having babies, I have scars from 5 abdominal surgeries, 9 lumpectomies and a dbl masectomy and reconstruction...these are my battle scars, my badges of courage if you will...but man this added weight is messing with me and I am fighting hard to not let it sabotage me. I am sooo grateful that I have this tool and am looking forward to getting another fill in a few weeks, it might be the extra bit I need right now. Thanks for listening...

Interesting discussion. When I talked to the psych doc before being banded, it was one of the things he talked about. I didnt have a good marriage but wasnt looking to leave, but within a year of being banded, my father passed and then within 6mths of that we separated and divorced. It has been a very difficult 2 yrs. My 3 yr Bandaversary is this Saturday. I think that if you have a weak marriage, it can break it. For me there has been sooo much in my life. I had a dbl mastectomy 4 yrs ago, and he was not there for me. I had 12 breast tumors, 9 lumpectomies and my risk for breast cancer was huge, my doctor advised that I have the mastectomy, I went to grief counseling and made the decision. I do not regret that decision at all. This was a huge precursor to knowing he wouldnt be there for me when my Daddy passed or for me when I had WLS. When things are weak, it doesnt take much to break it.

What is the sleeve?

Well, Saturday is my 3 yr bandaversary! I went to the doc and I have gained 22pds, grrrrr. I now have 3cc's going on the 21st to get another fill, feel like I can still eat too much, but trying not to, just cuz I seem to be able to...kwim? This July 1st was the 2nd anniversary of my Daddys passing, but it also brought a wonderful bundle of JOY! My daughter had her 4th baby, my 5th grand baby, a girl, named Savaeh (sa-va-a) Rose! 5 is the number of grace and boy did she grace the day! I am so ready to get this body back under control, I have been feeling like before I had the band put in...but I am not discouraged...keep reminding myself if this is all I have to deal with the rest of my life, weight wise, then I am way ahead of the game! Happy Bandaversary to all July Butterflies!

Hey Everyone... I am going in on the 2nd to get a fill - finding out that I can eat a wee bit more than I should with on the 2cc's. I have gained about 15pds...have enjoyed it, in light of the fact that my band was probably not well for a long time, just didnt know it. But I have started journaling my food again on fitday.com and exercising to Turbo Jam...actually ordered the Turbo Fire, should be getting that today. It is strange how after have all that weight on me for so many years and then losing it how I can FEEL that extra weight of 15 pds on me now! Do. not. like. it. But honestly I will not mind dealing with the same 10-15 pds for the rest of my life to NOT have to deal with the over 100 I just lost! Just a bit of perspective for myself, when I get frustrated. *smiles* Hope all had a great Memorial weekend...Freedom aint free...thanks to all who have served!

So. I have called my doc and am going in for another fill, able to eat WAY too much and after being sick for nearly 2 mths, everything tastes sooo good. I feel off kilter and need to get back in control! I feel like my body probably was put in starvation mode and now that I am eating it is holding onto ALL of what I eat, even though I really am not eat huge portions...but compared to what I HAD been eating, I think I was starving. DANG! Anyway, I am hoping that 1/2 - 1cc fill will be the ticket to getting this under control. I JUST got in size 12 jeans and gave all my bigger clothes away! I REFUSE to go back! And tomorrow I am pulling out the Turbo Jam DVD! Hope all are doing well!

PRAISE GOD!!! My band moved back into place!! He refilled with only 2 cc's wanted to give me 3 but when I drank the fluid it didnt go down well, so who knows for whatever reason, even the 4cc's I had may have been too much and caused the slip...but I am sooooooo praising God that I am back on track and I officially only gained 10 pds. My scale is officially off a bit over 3pds. He asked how much more did I want to lose and I said the 10 pds I just gained and about 10 more...too much more and my skin will just look all haggard...at 50 there just aint the elasticity anymore. *giggles* He said it is rare to have happen what did and I said let me introduce you to my last name = RARE...told him about my Dad and said I gots plenty of other stories too...he laughed and said you are very fun! LOL!

thanks for the info! Pray all goes well!

Great job! So how did you get the insurance company to pay for all of that? I pretty much figured Id have to live with my belly...my girls have already been replaced by a dbl mastectomy w/reconstruction 4 yrs ago, I had to have 1 replaced already and need the other one replaced - both due to having had a severe case of cellulitis after the final reconstruct, it was awful, nearly lost the implants, but ended up having soo much scar tissue they ended up like rocks, so after I get the other one replaced, they aint goin anywhere. *winks*

Hey Everyone! I just got some notices of replies to this thread, had to do some updating of my profile. We are approaching the 2 yr mark since my Dad passed, man I miss him! But I know he'd be so proud of how much I have lost! I have a wonderful man in my life now, who not only supports and encourages me, but loves me inspite of having had a dbl mastectomy w/reconstruction...he thinks I am the sexiest woman he has ever met! Gotta love that, eh?! So the update on my lapband...I had been sick for about 4 wks with some retched cold and since then I had some really bad issues with acid reflux, got on Nexium, helped for abit but then it didnt seem to be working, looked up online about reflux and the lapband and found it could be due to a slippage and so I went in and we found I had a slippage. Grrrr, so my doc removed the 4 cc's of fluid (he was astounded that I only had 2 fills since my surgery) But as soon as he did I felt the relief! He said most times it corrects itself and then they can refill. I have to be honest, I really didnt realize how sick my tummy was and how much I really wasnt eating! I probably lost the last 10pds due to this issue...but since he removed the fluid in the band I have been eating and gained back those 10pds in 4wks...I do not feel bad about it, cuz the loss of it was unhealthy to begin with....and I have enjoyed eating some of the things my tummy has not been able to eat for nearly 3 yrs too! *winks* But I am sooo glad to be going back on the 11th and getting a fill again. Hopefully the band has gone back in place - either way he said we will do a fill...either to help it move if it hasnt or cuz it has and we are starting over. IF it hasnt moved and the fill doesnt work either then I will need surgery to snip scar tissue that may be holding it in place. I have had ALOT of surgeries in my life and I do not want to have another one. Hope all are doing well! Keep up the good work!!

I just had a msg yesterday from here that actually turned out to be a yr old, but I am glad to be back on. I am down 80pds and seriously holding at that...but I still have about 40pds left to go - finding it difficult to break thru. But I got a Gazelle at a garage sale for $15 and I am using that. It has been a very very difficult year for me, my Daddy past a yr ago this July 1st, my marriage broke up this past February and I was sent to an oncologist 6 wks after my Dad passed cuz of some blood tests I had, they have been trying to figure out what is going on with me, very high red blood counts, tired...since May my left booty and leg are numb and in the last 9 days I have been having strange vertigo...not the kind where you turn your head and the world spins, have had that...this is when I lower the upper part of my body, I lose balance. I am going to a consult to have a nerve biopsy done next week, so we will see what that brings about. Since I was a teen, 3 things constantly have come up for me Lupus, MS & Leukemia...what is it about those 3 things makes completely different doctors go after the same thing? In my family tests mean nothing. My Daddy hadnt been well, been taken to the hospital, had numerous, blood tests, mri's, ct scans and NOTHING showed up, nothing...then on May 19th last yr his colon ruptured and when they went in they found 4th stage cancer - talk about a dbl barrel shotgun! If one didnt get him - the other would. How can one have 4th stage cancer an it not show up? He survived the rupture and the cancer took him on July 1st, 3 days before their 50th wedding anniversary...they were going to renew their vows. Devastated family for sure, but he was such a good Daddy, a Godly man, and a father to the fatherless....there were over 350 ppl who came to pay respects, we stood for over 4 hrs without a break, it was astounding. As you can tell I miss him very much. Yes they had been married on the 4th of July, funny thing, my Daddy came here from Holland and became an American citizen on July 1st and then a citizen of heaven on the same date. Anyway, I didnt mean to get off on a tangent. It has been amazing that I have held at the 80pds this yr. I have found 2 things to be amazing in the last 2 yrs...I have aquired a like for veggies and not ever having a sweet tooth before surgery, I find that am completely addicted to ice cream. My motto has become *obey the tummy* due to the fact that one day it will like what the previous day it completely objected to...so I am not going to eliminate a food, just cuz one day, it didnt like it...why does that happen? It is a funny thing to find I can eat popcorn, yeah like a med size bag, no prob, bob! What is up with that? Tummy pretty consistantly doesnt like pork anymore, which is a shame, cuz I LOVE it. But I do eat alot more fish and veggies and soup and fruit and Kashi Go Lean Oatmeal - love that stuff! Anyone else, seem to have the same issues? I have only had 2 fills, I think that is kinda interesting in light of everyone else...isnt it?

Woooohooo!!!

Happy Momma's Day to all us Momma's out there!

Thanks Gals! Going thru *stuff* is the way we roll in my family, seriously, I think we own hospitals somewhere...it is ridiculous! Anyway, I went to the doc this morning and he took the drain out! YEAH! I am sooo happy! I did tell him about my fall and the amount of fluid that gathered over the course of yesterday, he thinks I will be fine , I will finish my antibiotics in the next few days so I should be all set! Now onto next weeks fill! I am ready to get back on the weight loss train! :thumbup: