ladypitboss

OK you sweet tea lovers... I am from the south and it is not uncommon for us to go through a gallon of tea in a day. You can still have sweet tea. Just make it with splenda. I LOVE Splenda. I have been using it since I first did Atkins oh about 6 years ago. I honestly think that is what kept me from gaining back all the weight I lost on Atkins. As a matter of fact I went and found a picture of me at my top weight to show my surgeon as now I am down 100 lbs from my top weight. :biggrin1: As far as exercise goes. I came to a startling realization. I am wearing the same size as I was 30 lbs heavier the last time I lost weight. The biggest difference is that the last time I exercised. So that means that I have lost some lean muscle and have a higher body fat % than I did at 260. I use a site called www.fittogether.net > You can put in you measurments and it will give you a body composition analysis. That is the only part that is free) It is pretty good. I started the day after Christmas and I have only lost 4 lbs but my clothes are fitting me better already. So numbers on the scale isnt the ultimate goal. Being smaller, healthier, and fitter is. OK so I am a little sore from the accident and will let my body rest a few more days. But I may need reminding to get back at it. My 12 yr old wants to play volleyball and she is seriously starting to have problems with people making fun of her weight. She is about 5'5 and wears probably a 12. She has been working out with me and will continue to do so. I told her last night that only she can control what goes in her mouth and she is the one who controls whether or not to get up early and get on the bike and she is the one who is beautiful. I mean she is gorgeous just 20-30 lbs over weight. It seems that she has never worried about it until this year. She has never seen me have to be self concious. My DH has never belittled me. I have told her that it is so important to get it under control now. I dont want her to end up having to have surgery to lose weight. The problem is that she thinks that if she is good at sports then maybe she will earn some respect. She really isnt that athletic. She is a very awkward preteen. Oh well I guess I will just try to get her a sports physical before next Thursday.

Well I missed my appointment yesterday. My friend was going for her first fill and I was just going because I am supposed to. I didn't really need a fill. Well we had gotten about an inch of snow that evidently covered ice on the road. I started fish tailing not more than a mile from my house and ended up rolling my convertible and landing in a creek. Thank God we landed tires down or it might have been a totally different day. We were in about 3 ft of water. We both walked away. She bumped her head and I bruised the inside of my knee and we both have a lot of sorness in our necks and shoulders from the seatbelts. We both made it into work today in spite of our soreness. It is definately a miracle. My husband said that it wasnt my time to go because I have way to much work left to do. Tonight at dinner I realized this to be true while he was showing my 5 yr old dd how to eat corn typewriter style. I told him that I couldnt leave him to raise these girls on his own. Good news he got a job today. He starts tomorrow. SO maybe just maybe things will work out for Vegas after all.

Regina, your husband sounds just like mine. He will be 40 next month and his dad had his first heart attack at 40. Since being off work (which was the week after I had my surgery) he has put on about 30 lbs. He has bad knees which he hurt again today. He wouldnt qualify for surgery but I have got him working out with me and my 12 yr old dd. He loses weight quite effortlessly when he puts his mind to it. We worked opposite shifts for the last 7 years. It was really hard for him to get into any kind of workout routine. He also has sleep apnea which seemed to resolve itself about 40 lbs ago. He also never goes to the doctor. He dropped my car on his hand while rotating my tires and wouldnt let me take him in for xrays. He has even been know to sew himself up. LOL I can totally relate. But in the time since I have been banded he has been a champ at cooking things I can eat and keeping the junk out of the house. Christmas cookies (Sugar free) that I made for him were my downfall the last month. He worries constantly and has become quite depressed about being his fathers son. I have told him that I cant make him healthier. Only he can do that. He has to take charge of his life and do what he has to do to not end up like his father. We struggled with the confidence issue once before when I lost weight. He worrys that I will get skinny and want someone else. I think every couple has to go through that. I know it has ended some marriages but I dont think most of those marriages were that strong to begin with. I will keep my hopes up about Vegas. I would be good with going by myself and maybe sharing a room with someone. Barbara4 if you are a regular out there then maybe you could contact a casino host and see if there is a break since you are obviously a good player and are bringing lots of friends. Just out of curiosity what games do you play? Just slots or do you get into the tables?

Lucy what procedure are you looking at?

I would love to go to Vegas in June but it just doesnt look possible for me right now. My DH has been out of work for 6 months and his new job didnt work out so we are so tight right now I cant even think about a vacation. But he has an interview Monday so hopefully things will turn around by then. As far as last years holiday...that is when I made my decision to research lap-band. My father had passed away in November and I made the second trip to Alabama in 2 months to spend Christmas with family. Between those 2 trips and the holidays I gained 30 lbs. My father had had to be helped by 6-7 firemen/medics when he fell. He was nearly 500 lbs and couldnt even get a much needed PET scan because he was so large. He was so week the last week that he couldnt be gotten out of the hospital bed because my mom and sil couldnt work the lift. That was when I decided to go see him and help out. I got there 36 hours before he passed. Between seeing him suffer and seeing my unhealthy blind mom stuff herself with sugar made me decide that I needed to do something so I could remain healthy. You guys talk about loose skin and vericose veins and swim suits and it takes me back to last years vacation. We rented a house boat in KY and 5 couples went. There was a hot tub on board but I didnt need to feel self concious because 4 of the people had had RNY. One woman hadnt lost much weight and hadnt owned a suit for 20 years or so. I had brought an extra suit so I gave it to her. Now she goes to a friends house to hot tub all the time. One woman had just recently had her surgery and was down to a 16 and now I am getting her suit from the boat trip. lol So I think it is a great idea to surround yourself with people in the same boat. I still haven't had a chance to go back and read all the posts yet but I will. I want to get to know everybody before June just in case.

Bumping for more imput. The nurse made mention of pouch stretching at one time. I said that the last fill had "loosened up" and she said that doesnt happen. Than most likely that overeating had caused my pouch to stretch out. The part that confused me is that she almost immediately said that this fill would help. I am so confused. If I had stretched my pouch wouldnt I need to do something about it other than a fill?

Wow! I didn't even know there was a plan to have a trip to Vegas! I would love to go. My dh may or may not be able to go. Money is kind of tight right now as he just got a new job but hopefully by June we should be better off. I can certainly do some looking around. I would be happy with a girls weekend. Being a pitboss I could offer instruction on some of the games.

Think again. I used this service the last time I did Atkins and lost 50 lbs. I was also working out on a regular basis. I havent been exercising since I got the band and I just got started the day after Christmas. I though I was the same size and 30 lbs less than last time so I decided to take my measurements and do a comparison so look at http://www.fittogether.net/bodycomposition/compare_profile.aspx?id=152625,108171 and see the comparison. Most importantly look at the bodyfat % verses the lean muscle mass percentage. Thirty lbs should be a whole size difference and it isnt. I am getting busy now!

I am sorry I left a few words out of my last post. I could have waited and had it done in TC but went with Port Huron instead. I didnt want to be anybody's first. I have heard alot about the TC patients and docs having port problems. I had Dr. Bhesania in PH and he never misses. The only problem is that he is in and out so fast I often forget questions I have for him. He told me last time that their clinic has results equivilant to RNY because of the follow up care. He is pretty strict about the schedule for the first fill. I didnt have one for 8 weeks. Then I have seen him once a month since then. Also the post op diet was a lot stricter than I have seen of other posters. It was 2 weeks of clear liquids and 2 weeks of full liquids then soft foods. I think all of this is WHY I havent had any problems. The PH team has done over 1300 surgeries and I think they got it down. Now I have heard great things about Featherstone and Nizzi in TC but I think the lack of experience is what scared me into taking an 8 hour round trip once a month. It really isnt all that bad. I get one whole day a month to myself and as I lose Birch Run is right on the way;). So far I have no regrets. My surgery was 6/16 and I am at 2.9cc in a 4cc band. Another thing about living so far away is that I have sneeked up on my sweet spots. I have had 5 fills. I do not want to risk being too tight and make a repeat trip.

Hey guys I am glad to hear some positives about TC. I could have waited and had it done at PH. I would love to get to know you guys and have some support close to home.

Here is a link to the technology. http://www.vnus.com/index.html I found this a few years ago when I was losing on Atkins. I never made it to onederland then. I have kept it in favorites all this time. Here is another one. http://www.veinclinics.us/id8.html I guess I need to do some more research. But my friend (who is the posterchild for RYN) had her veins stripped a year and a half ago. She had like 48 staples in each leg and that doesnt interest me in the least. The biggest reason I chose lap-band is that I didnt want to be cut open and have my insides rearranged. I am chicken of any type of surgery. I doubt I will ever be able to have plastic surgery to have the loose skin removed.

Trisha, Is this a vericose vein? I am looking into having some newer procedure done. I think it is called Vnus laser or something like that. That is what I am doing when I make it to onederland. I figured there is no use getting it done before that. But with this procedure most people return to work the next day. My vericose veins in my right bulge so bad that you can see them with my pants on.

Hi everybody, I just thought it would be good to get into this thread. I was banded on 6/16/06. I am down 62 lbs as of today. I have had 5 fills so far 1,1,.5,.2,.2 for a total of 2.9cc in a 4 cc band. I was sneaking up on my sweet spot as my drive to my surgeon is 4 hours one way. I had my surgery by Dr. Zubin Bhesania at the Lap-Band Center of Michigan in Port Huron. I chose this surgeon as he is the best in Michigan. He and his partner have done over 1300 bands and he is often teaching other docs to do it as well. I could have chosen to wait till August and had it done locally but I didnt want to be anyone's guinnea pig and I am so glad I went the way I did. The 2 people I have talked to that had their surgeries locally have had problems. Port problems mostly. One just went in for her first fill and the doc couldnt find her port and when they the the flouroscopy they could see it rolling around. That tells me that they didnt stitch it down good. My doc has never had to do a flouroscopy or had to stick me more than once. Anyway I get to enjoy a day to myself once a month. That aint all bad. I am 33 years old and have been married for nearly 13 years and we have 2 daughters 12 and 5. I think I am finally as tight as I want to go. I have my next appointment Jan.8. I have thought I was there before but changed my mind closer to my appointment. I am looking forward to getting to know everyone on the June list. Please drop a note and introduce yourself and I will try to go back and read and catch up.

Yes please try them out before you buy. All the major sports stores that sell them and even Sears had floor models to try out. I probably got on about a dozen before I bought.

My step-mother is too a sabateur! Always has been. She has always had a problem with food and she would often put me on diets and the we would have "girl's club" where her I and the dog would sit in her room with bags of popcorn or tuna salad sandwiches or even hamburgers and watch TV while my dad and/or brothers watched sports in the living room. For Christmas I got a box from my step-brother with a beautiful clock for me and some gift cards for my girls and in it my mom included a size 24 suit with the butt seam blown out! Hows that for sensitive? I was a 20 last year when she saw me. This was the same Christmas right after my dad passed away and I had to spend not 1 but 2 whole days baking for all the firemen and medics that helped with him because she ( the blind and can barely get around diabetic) ate most of what I cooked the first day. I am in an 18 now but not for long. I have done alot of reflecting on her role on the family's obesity in the last year. She married my dad when I was 2 and looking at the wedding picture my dad and my 2 brothers and I were all normal size. Her and her son were morbidly obese. He was 9 and the oldest. That was 31 years ago. There is not one of us who hasnt been over 300 lbs. Her son lost 100+ lbs at 17 to join the military. He is heavy now but has been living with her or her with him for several years. One of my brothers had RNY surgery 2 years ago and lost 200lbs. My other brother would probably qualify for surgery but isnt ready to do that. His wife had RNY last year, and we talked about it. BTW She also had a failed stomach stapling 25 years ago. She was telling me the horror stories one time and said that she could sit on the toilet and eat a whole chocolate cake. HMMM kindof wonder who failed who. She had an emergency reversal. So sorry for the threadjack but this has been weighing on me for the last year and I just cant get over it. The only thing that helps is that I live 16 hours away. Life dealing with my mom is just easier that way. No advice for you. Just that I know where you're coming from.

I bought a Nordic Track Elliptical last year. I did a lot of shopping around. If you love the elliptical machine at the gym which is most likely a Precor you really want to get the features you like about that. You definately get what you pay for. I looked for one with adjustable resistance and incline. I think I paid about $900 for it. I got it at sears and they delivered it and put it together.

The final straw for me was my dad. Last year in August my dad was diagnosed with melamoma. It had spread to his brain and his lungs. Both places had very small spots and his prognosis was good. They did radiation on his brain and gave him immunotherapy drugs for the cancer in his lungs. The thing about immuontherapy drugs it that it wears a body down. My dad was well over 400 lbs (if not closer to 500)and was in such bad shape that his body just couldnt keep up. They couldnt even find a facility to have a PET scan done. He had fallen several times and it would take 6 or 7 firemen/medics to get him up. I drove 16 hours in November to be there a little more that 24 hours before he passed away. Between that trip and another at Christmas to be with my mom and brothers I put back on 30 lbs. I came home and started looking into the lapband. I probably put it on the back burner till April and went for my seminar on May 4th and had surgery on June 16th. I am down 60 lbs. This time of year has been pretty hard on me emotionally and I havent been the best bandster but I know I will never gain 30 lbs in 2 months again.

Well my port is right under my left ribcage about 2 inches from center. It is right under the largest incision but being 6 months out the scar doesnt sit right on top of it. I would think that it would be real close to it though. I would definately call the surgeon. Maybe they even have an emergency number. I cant imagine that if you pulled the port out of place that it would move 3 inches. Can you remember if it was there before you pulled it?

Hi everybody! I realized when I got a reminder about this thread via email that I havent posted on this thread since I had my first consultation. Well I was banded on June 16th with Dr. Bhesania in Port Huron. I am feeling great. Just got done with my full liquids and have started on "soft foods." I was very good on the liquid stages. I thought it would be harder but it really wasnt. I am down 24 lbs and all my clothes are fitting much better. I really like the team at Port Huron. But I am so far away that I am considering changing docs for my aftercare. I understand that the Traverse City bariactric surgeons are going to start doing lap bands in August. I live near Manistee so this is a much shorter drive. As it is I am dreading the drive tomorrow. I have to be in Port Huron at 9:30 am. I asked it they could do it any later but she said that I have to meet a bunch of people and do a class. Does anyone have any idea how long that first 4 week appt lasts?

I just went to the seminar and had my first screening appt yesterday. I am from near Manistee. It was a really long day I left home at 8am and got home at 11pm. I like him just fine except that he didnt spend a lot of time but he was ready to answer any questions I had. I am concerned about having to visit once a month with gas prices. But I liked the fact that between him and Dr Boutt they have done nearly 1300 of these surgeries. It would be nice to find a fill dr a little closer but I think for the first few months I will stick with them. I need to have a psyc eval done close to home though. I would be willing to go to Traverse City. Anybody got any ideas?