white3535

Hi everybody! My name is Maryanne. I am in the upper northwest corner of SC in Clemson. I had my LapBand surgery on 9/23/08. In my pre-op visit, I told my doctor that I consider this my "rebirth". That seems to be a healthy way for me to look at it...it keeps me from feeling deprived. I have lost 24 pounds in the month since my surgery, and I am going for my first fill on 11/3. I am feeling better than I did before, and I can tell that I am less tired. I've started walking, too. I've been heavy for much of my life, so I know that for me, it is important to try not to get so caught up in doing everything "just so". I mean, if I miss a day of my walks, I don't stress about it, I just do it when I can. Otherwise, I start finding fault with every time I miss a chance to exercise or when I eat something I shouldn't, and eventually I find so much fault with myself that I just quit. I think LapBand is a really good thing for me in alot of ways....physically, of course, and also emotionally. I have really gotten such a kick from all the support all my co-workers have been giving me. I keep a note on my locker saying how much I have lost to date...and they have been giving me congrats and compliments that keep me feeling so uplifted! I hope to meet some new friends here and learn alot from other people, and I hope that being here will help me and that I can help others, too. Maryanne

My doctor said that they HAD used only liquid pain meds and nausea meds, but that they switched to pills when they found that most people could manage them just fine. He had me switch to a chewable vitamin, but I continue to take all my other pills. One of my capsules is kind of big, and if I feel it get stuck, I just have a hot tea or cocoa...and it melts. I know that doctors are the best source for info, but don't let anyone scare you. If something concerns you alot, research it in whatever way you can. Try to find out about all sides of an issue. Knowledge is power!:thumbup:

Good luck to you....your surgery is coming up very soon! My first week or so was hard because I have had food as a friend for so long, and suddenly, I literally could not eat! But I can tell you one thing for sure........the compliments and support I have received FEEL waaaaaayyyyy better than anything TASTES!!! And I came to see my liquid diet as a good thing....less complicated than my diet had been before, because at first, you need calories, so you don't have to be as careful what you drink. I had a McDonalds milkshake thinned way down with milk a few times! What a way to diet!:thumbup: I am beginning to eat more solid stuff now, and I get to a point where I just know I have to stop or I will be too full. This is what my body has been waiting for....it's the perfect fit for me! I hope you will have a good experience, too!

And for everyone else who answered me....GOOD LUCK!

You said you want to be a happy healthy mom and nurse....you sound alot like me. My boys are 17 and 19 now, and despite MANY attempts over the years by me to get fit, they have never known me to be anything but heavy. Of course, they are sweet and tell me that gives them more to love, but that doesn't change the fact that I was heading for being HERE to love alot less time!! And I too am a nurse....I work at a hospice house here in SC. People think it is a "gross" job, but I adore it and my patients. So, anyway...glad to meet you, and I hope we can be a source of support to one another through this life-long journey! Maryanne