findingme2

I've been gone for a whole after being told in December that "this surgery doesn't work for everyone and you are probably one of those". Hmmm.....have been in shock/anger/depression/more shock/more anger and just resolve that it was a waste of time. At least the surgeon was honest. What I believe needs tweaking is after care for those patients who do not do well and to assist them while their window is still open. Ooops...did you guys shelve the unhappy patient link??? Disgruntled I think it was called??? It's a reality. If anyone reads this please know I did things by the book except go to support groups because they meet at night and I have an ill spouse I cannot leave (his caregiver goes home at 5:00 PM). I have my one year anniversary coming up this week. What a tremendous and devastating experience this has been. Good luck to the others of you.

Hi Everyone.....after not logging on since early February I decided to come on and see how everyone is doing. YOU GUYS look amazing!!!!! Two special shout outs but love to all: Kari...you STILL have those great cheerleader legs!!! You are gorgeous!! Stephanie....OMG on your surgery!!! Good luck!!! On the positive think how much easier recovery will be minus 100+ pounds!! to you!!!!!! OK and to me......I knew my experience was different and by September something was not clicking.....my surgeon finally said in December that banding doesn't work for everyone and I am obviously one of those. Sad face. :speechles Hung in there through the holidays then by February I was discouraged, had some sad events happen, have had some odd upper respiratory since April 13th (yeah 4-13 and it's June) that has thrown me for a loop and well, 20+ (if not more) of my pitiful 39 pound loss is back on. :faint:NP told me there was no sense in coming back to the surgeon because he was not a weight-loss doctor and there was nothing he could do. She said to drink more water, walk more and see a shrink. LOL. Okay. Anyway....I am NOT throwing in the towel.....so this is not totally a depressing post! I am exploring some options and am ready to move forward!!! Wish me luck.....I miss my July friends!!! Love to all! Ruthie

Hi: Just thought I would throw this out and see if there are any other bandsters from northern New Jersey who would be interested in sharing great food finds, great grocery stores, restaurants that are accomodating, great walking paths or fat-friendly gyms, or just chat. I KNOW there must be some because there were 8 people in my pre-surgery conference alone!!! And there were 100's at the seminar!!! Come on you New Jersey folk. Say hi!! Ruthie Banded 7-11-06 First Fill scheduled 9/5/06 Dr. N. Bertha/St. Clare's Dover Bariatric Center I'd quote our state slogan but wasn't the last one a bust because it was borrowed from another state?? LOL You HAVE to love New Jersey!

Man, oh man, oh man.......I am with you on this. I studied so long, and pondered doing this surgery for so long and lost so fast at first and then a ten ton brick dropped. I have found no motivation in my soul to do what I call my four corners (portions/choices, Proteins, liquids and exercise). Proteins and liquids- easy. Exercise- yech. Portions/choices- I feel like I am crazy sometimes...eating junk that makes me feel miserable but I eat it anyway. I made it back on the right path today so hurray for one day....right???? This stuff is hard but I will NOT give up!!!!! Thanks for the post...I shall return!!!

:hungry: :hungry: :hungry: :hungry: :hungry: :hungry: :hungry: :hungry: :hungry: :hungry: :hungry: :hungry: :hungry: :faint: :faint: :faint: :faint: :faint: :faint: :faint: HELLLLLLLLOOOO everyone: I'm back too. First, it's so nice to read your posts. I have been eating junk and feeling thud-ie so I knew the place to go to get going again was here. Stephanie (my personal l-b hero- 90 lbs...wowowowowowow) Janu-weary brings on the funks I do believe. Be strong!!!! Look at you and what you have done!!!! Amazing!!!! Port pain- my surgeon says it's the sutters(stitches) pulling and is normal. I have the pain too and it can even hurt so much that it wakes me up when I am sleeping on that side. Just rub it and sleep on other side for a bit. He said sutters would take a while to be flexible. Carb drinks supposedly stretch the pouch. Makes sense but is it true??? Who knows. I have had sips here and there of diet coke and have been fine but will NOT return to my old habit of a 6-can a day habit!!! Soda can dehyrdate. Love you guys and have a personal challenge to lose 11 pounds by the 27th of February. So VD challenge is kinda sorta in there too!!! Ruthie:bandit (somewhere in here is a svelte woman waiting to spring out!)

HI ALL!!! First, longggggggggggg time no check in. December has been mad crazy. Stephanie...you know your reply to me really helped so much. I started following along with your way of eating and yep...it worked. I am a slowwwwww loser but the key word is loser! I am down a little bit more. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart. You are such an inspiration with your incredible weight loss. I guess you and Beth are our Julyster's angels because you are so constant with your posts and advice and support. ;) :bananajump: :bananajump: :Banane10: :Banane34: My DH and I traveled to my family in Georgia and I really did well with the eating. Cute story: my Mom is almost blind and when I tucked her in bed the first night she said you know when I hugged you today you feel smaller. I told her I had lost weight and she was so happy for me. I had not told her about my surgery because she unfortunately has stroke induced dementia/sundowners so she would worry obsessively about me. Anyway....that touched my heart that she could feel the dif!! Oh and one more NSV- I haven't bought clothes since surgery because I wanted to wait for smaller sizes. I saw a precious Christmas sweater and could not resist. BUTTTTTTTTT...the 5x was too large. Wow. I was so happy to "re-visit" a 4x!! Happy New Years dear fellow bandsters and God Bless!!! May our year be filled with great days and smaller bodies!!!!! Ruthie (and please say hi someone!!!! I know I have been away but would love a hug!)

Stephanie....I posted a few days ago with a question and I guess you missed it. How do you eat so little??? Are you taking something to kill your appetite??? You had posted what you eat and I was amazed you (even with the ole band) could eat so little and not go crazy with hunger. Thanks for responding....keep up the good work. Ruthie

Here's to you Lisa and God bless!!!!! Be well!!! Stephanie...wow...no wonder you have lost so much so quickly...you eat so little. That is nothing short of amazing you are not starving!!! How do you do it??? Wish I could do that!!! The band helps but still...that's not a lot of food!!!! :faint: Here's to all my fellow July-sters who fall down, brush themselves off and try again. This ain't easy girlfriends!!!!! :help: :help: :help: :help: s and :kiss2: es!! Ruthie

:phanvan Hi Muggle and I am so with you....disheartened. I knew I needed more restriction and it took six weeks to get an appointment. I was so depressed throughout the six weeks and ate. Put some weight back on. Got a huge fill (I am now at 9cc out of a 11cc band) and I am doing okay...not great. As my surgeon is about to go into the port he says "you know the lap-band doesn't work for some people". Great. I didn't need to hear that. Why don't we discourage me. :cry Bypass is not an option for me b/c of other life circumstances. So my heart is with you!!!! Motivation?? Ha!! Hang in there!!! :help: :help: :help: :help: Ruthie

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!! May we all be blessed with a sense of "fullness" that has nothing to do with food!!! Leonia...so good to hear you are hangin' in....also good to hear you are busy with the music!! That will keep your mind off of NYC delis!!! And to those who care.....thanks so much for the personal expressions of support!!!! I so appreciate your show of kindness!! I had been desperate for someone to say "you can make it" but didn't have the spirit to ask for it!!!!! Ruthie

Hi All....it's been a while. Had some tough times with the band, couldn't get an appointment for SIX weeks with my surgeon and well, just have not been up to checking in. Sooooooooooooo mentally down about the set-back, gained some weight and finally got things straightened out this week. Hopefully I am on the road to success again. So glad to see everyone is moving along and moving down the old tickers!!!! Love to all, Ruthie

Hi Marcy....I grew up in Georgia and now live in Morris county..lol. Guess we switched southern/northern places. Hi everyone in NJ...hope all are doing well. My life has settled a little bit. I saw cute Dr. Bertha this week and will get another fill. First opening though was last day of the month- yikes!!!! I have zero restriction so I feel like I am flying solo. Have a great October!! Ruthie

Hey all you Georgians!!! I am a true blue Georgian :clap2: (born and raised) but was love-jacked (as opposed to hi-jacked) by my precious Yankee DH to New Jersey:kiss2: . My family is in the Stone Mountain/Snellville area with family ties in Milledgeville as well as beginning my teaching career in the Vidalia area. I also went to college in the Rome area AND additional work at UGA! So I have been all over our great state (anddddd a piece of my heart will always be in Savannah and the Golden Isles). I LOVE my Georgia and miss it terribly. It feels like home reading this thread though so hope you guys don't mind me lurking!!! I was banded up here in Jersey 7-11-06 and have been a slow loser but would do it all again in a heartbeat. Peace to all of my fellow Georgians!!! Ruthie

Hi all: I met my commitment to exercise this week- yea. I also am drinking 80 oz now, so again- yea. I am doing about 90 mg of protein- triple yea. Okay, BUT- I am starving. It's a struggle to keep the portion size down and not want to eat 10 times a day!!!! I feel zero restriction. Some thoughts to share: Leona- I unfortunately learned the hard way that fat cells are full of estrogen b/c many years ago I lost a lot of weight and was not aware I had fibroids. The fibroids absorbed all the estrogen to the point the tumor was like 6 inches in diameter and destroyed my uterine lining....yep...no babies for me. So, don't play with it. I don't want to frighten you but have it checked out soon!!! Sweetie pie Kari- get thee to a podiatrist and let him/her do wonders on the toe!!! They are miracle workers!! Take care all.

I did a mile plus walk today (about 40 minutes total). yea. Leona, you look great!!!!! Sorry to hear it might be GYN problems....yuk!!! Everyone have a great week!! Ruthie

Okay guys....I join the challenge. 3-5 times before next Sunday? At least 30 minutes each- right??? Gotcha. Here's to a good week. This past week has not been so good for me because I have been starving and upping the portions and snacks. Here's to regaining my sanity (HA!!!!!) or at least a tiny piece of it. We had early dismissal on Friday for Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) but we could stay if we wanted to. I did and got caught up on work and left feeling ready for the week. I turned in a boat load of stuff to the copy room so maybe I can whip things into shape (they don't let us touch the good copy machines because as Stephanie can probably relate- teachers can mess up machines in a heartbeat.) Food today started getting better throughout the day and that feeling of never being satisfied has subsided slightly. Whew. Thank goodness!!!! I drank a LOT of water- maybe that helped- who knows. Ruthie

Hi Seppi and Connersmom: Dr. Bertha did my surgery and I adore him though I wish he would smile more. BUT, that's okay too. I needed an excellent surgeon not an entertainer. Anyway, you will do fine. Their practice is so good about pre and post op stuff. Listen to Alexandra, she's the expert!!!!! Just look at her loss #s!!!! Lynn, the surgeon's office manager is a doll and Josephine is amazing. Nino is also great and positive. Seppi, again in my opinion, tell you GYN how you felt about her negativity and hey, there's always the option of finding another. My PCP knows not to send me to any specialist who is not pro-patient. I especially expect a GYN to be positive. I am so lucky to use the most incredible GYN in Morris County. He is an excellent doctor plus a caring person. I broke my foot years ago and was sitting in ER waiting to be seen. He walked through after a false alarm labor, saw me, and sat with my DH and I until the ER people had me settled into a room. THAT's a nice and supportive doctor. Again, just my opinion and my personal feelings about things. You are about to begin one of the most wonderful and life-changing journeys you could take. Diet and exercise are great and they will be an important key to your weight loss, HOWEVER, there are those of us who need a bridge to get there. Too bad your GYN is blind to that. Good luck all!!! Ruthie

Congrats to all the July exercise people!!! Yea!!!! You all are such an inspiration!!!! It really gets me through my day to come here and read the posts. That sounds corny but it so nice to know there are people who started where I did (well, somewhere in the 31 day span at least...lol) and can relate. We all are traveling the same path and hitting similar bumps in the road, etc. Jane, while reading your post I was saying to myself I am with you 100%. I feel like after eating a meal I could 3 more!!! Again, it may be delayed stress related but still I would think I would feel some restriction. I ate a small wrap sandwich yesterday thinking, okay, this will be a good test. No problems. Just about the first bready type food I have eaten besides some of those 100 calorie package wheat thins. Anyway. Good luck to you Jane and may be we both find a fullness!!! LOL Kari- I am so glad you are feeling better!!!! NOTHING feels better than coming out of that sick funk!!!!! Okay next week will be my challenge week!! I think, maybe- hope so- oh please- maybe the caregiver situation is better....he lasted an entire week!!!!!! AND, said he'd see us Monday morning. He is so calm and patient.....such a gift!!! One day at a time.....one week at a time. Start new, start fresh but don't look back.....cuz (as Satchel would say) something might be gaining on us...... that fat something sure wants to catch up and hold us back but we shall move forward!!!!! Okay group.....thanks for the support and love!!!! Kisses, Ruthie

Hi All: Sherri Jo- life can be a tough row to hoe and what a perfect expression no matter where you are from. Being a southern girl myself I totally got it!!! Are you a UK or Louisville supporter??? Desiree- I am so glad the belt thingie is helping. Ouch is all I can say. I wonder if those muscles were vunerable as a result of surgery? Hmmmm..feel better!!! Kari- your jaw is almost closed shut? Back in my college days there was a girl in my dorm who paid to have her jaw wired shut to lose weight. Duh, she drank milkshakes all the time. LOL Does your jaw hurt??? Nothing hurts worse than pain around the head. Hang in and feel better. Mary- your pic is amazing!!! Wow- great idea to wear same outfit because you can totally see the dif!!! You look wonderful. And as far as the chocolate peanut chews.....I have had no desire for them for 2 months and now I am craving and wanting everything I see. I honestly think the stress of the caregiver situation has gotten to my head. And stress makes me a glutton!!!! Urgh. So I don't think it's the candy in specific it's just something "forbidden". Make sense?? Beth- YES I had serious insomnia but it was the second week post-surgery. I tried ambien but it did nothing for me. Sonesta worked nicely. I also can't believe your surgeon story. What an insensitive creep. I guess I can relate because I called my surgeon's office because I feel NO restriction and I just had the fill 3 weeks ago. NP said I had to come in for the one month post-fill check-up first and they would see if I was "following all of the guidelines". So, I understand your frustration about not being allowed to schedule a fill. Why can't WE decide what feels right? Oh well. Jane- no exercise for me this week.:phanvan Just an odd week. Kinda stress fall-out. I walked during my off period last week but have been trying to get my chaos of a room to a "usuable" condition. Anyway....I will get there...maybe a week late but I will get there. Hi to everyone and have a great weekend. Kisses, Ruthie

Leona- oh wow!!! I cannot believe what you're going through. Hang in there.....your surgeon is the one equipped to know how to deal with it....don't worry about what you can't do right now....concentrate on the positives....relax, meditate, low key stuff.......you lost so much weight and look so good....you can do the exercise stuff when you feel better. Kari...and you too sweetie...what a tough time you are going through...good luck with next round of stuff to get rid of that strep!!! Michelle...you are too funny!!! What a babe you are. I had a lapse last night. I got my DH's snack out to bring him (that stupid chocolate peanut chews candy) and just was popping them in my mouth like a crazy person. Urgh. Total head job. Today's a new day. Start over...right??? Ruthie

How sweet of you Jane and everyone who offered support and prayers!!!! Thanks for the kind words. Some days are great and some days are exhausting. He is a blessing in my life and I am thankful I have the energy to be there for him. I am also thankful for the band because at the rate I was going I would weigh 400 pounds!!!!!! Stress eating was my middle name. Tomorrow I shall move the body!!!! Ruthie

Mwah Chris....you can be our mascot

RitaAnn: How very dear of you to offer. I will certainly keep that in mind!! Wow!!! How nice you are!!! DH stands for dear husband. It took me 2 months to learn a few of those abbreviations. Just ask....that's what we are all here for....even the newbies like me....2 months and 7 days out. Ruthie

bgp and step...you look gorgeous and what beautiful women you are!! You also are positive people and I am sure inspirations to all who come into your life. Michelle...one of the few times in my life I ever felt small (remember I am a tall woman...6'2") was when I had taken a bunch of 7th graders to Washington DC and was looking for 2 of the wild things in the hotel. Redskins were having a mini-camp at the hotel and were on break. While looking for wild thing 1 and 2 I had to walk down a hall lined on both sides with these monster linemen (I was single then....I could have stayed all day..hmmmm). It amazes me too I probably weigh the same as some of them and they make 10 times the $$ I do. Let me out on that field and I will knock a few heads but please, don't mess up my nails. Even we old girls know to put on the primp. Stephanie...I have the 11cc (I thought it was 10 but surgeon said 11) and had a fill of 4ccs and I need more!!!! I could have eaten a horse last night...old stress eating stillllllll there. Okay girlie girls and Chris......day one with new caregiver and all seemed smooth sailing. 363 to go before retirement....lol. I will not sigh a sigh of relief until we make it a week, then 2, then 3, then a month. THEN, maybe a little itty bitty tinsy weeny sigh. Love ya'll... Ruthie

Atta boy Chris......you go college boy!!!! You are too cute!!! Thanks though....good info. (I'm one of the July girlie girls so that's how I know you are the college boy)