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Mim, Good for you and your son!! We shouldn't let our weight stop us from things we want to do. Glad you had fun and when are you going to do it again? Oh, and don't forget to keep putting on the sun screen. Sunburn is not fun!!! ee

Indio, Congratulations on 2 years!! You have done amazing and I hope the band continues to work for you. Or maybe that should be you work with it. Either way Great Job!! ee

I'm still on post-op diet (liquid) and was banded a little more than 2 weeks ago. I'm not sure yet how well it's helped, but I've had to stop taking one of the pills because my blood sugar kept tanking. So I will know more in about three months, but I think it is helping a lot. Just can't drink a whole lot of drinks with sugar in it.

Okay, I'm eavesdropping on your conversation. This really has become your personal thread. I was curious about the poll...it's an interesting question. I just started doing facebook too. I too got involved with farming. Can't believe I'm doing that and others my age are doing that. How do people find the time to keep that up? So there are many lbt people on facebook? I really don't want to get sucked into that so I forget to do other stuff.....just posting here does take a bit of time. Anyway.....hope you don't mind I intruded. ee

You didn't look so good the last time I saw you. You were just recovering from surgery. I left early......didn't want to be there just laying around. I'm having the fatigue thing now. Been pretty wiped out this week, but I'm still working. How's the diet going? ee

Charlene, Congrats on the 1 year!!!! Also on your DH doing so well. The best to both of you. It might help having someone living with you going through a similar process. My DH really doesn't understand. He doesn't eat sometimes. I was told no carbonation too....that one actually scares me. I'm burping now like crazy, I can't even imagine what would happen if I drank bubbles. Maybe I'd float. LOL. I have been doing pretty well during this thing, but this week I am really tired. Either I can't sleep and I get up for a couple of hours during the night or I sleep like a rock and still don't feel rested. I'm hoping this phase passes soon. I have stuff to do. Yipee tomorrow is Friday....... Have a great day everyone:laugh:

I was banded in Tijuana by Dr. Ariel Ortiz. It was clean and the people were professional and I liked the doctor. I also went through WorldMedAssist to start but can't really remember how I ended up with Dr. Ortiz, except I have his book and did some research on him. Not a bad experience. ee

Great Job and Congratulations!!! Doing the happy dance with you!!!! ee

Indiogirl, Your success is what I will strive for!! Do people tell you how nice it is to hear from you....you put a very practical light on things and I really appreciate that. You also show that you have a life and do things like have hangovers. It's pretty cool. Thanks for sharing. I'm enjoying it. Let me start off with the fact that I'm still on the liquid phase after surgery. Last weekend, I prepared enough food to feed more than 50 people, delivered it, set it up, and didn't eat it. It was quite the challenge. I have very bad habits of "tasting" when I cook and I put things in my mouth without even thinking. I actually did this while I was cooking. Then as I'm chewing (not swallowing) I think eeekkkk, I can't do this and I spit out the food. I couldn't believe I actually did it. I'm also finding I'm not thinking about food all the time. I do when I start to get hungry and I am doing that again, but it's not a constant thought in the back of my head. I really hope that trend continues. Oh the food was for a wedding (very casual wedding) and it was well received. I have some other habits I need to break, big bites, not chewing, not drinking after eating....all the important stuff, but I'm starting to practice now. I'm working on not drinking after I drink my soup or whatever. This one is hard, but I guess with time and persistence I can learn this too. Okay, thanks for listening. ee

I love this post. I know I'm not always clear, but I love to write and I do know the difference between there/their/they're. I'm amazed at how many people don't use them correctly. Two, to, and too is another one that bugs me. I truly do understand there are very good reasons (disabilities & different cultures) for incorrect grammar and spelling, but when it's just plain laziness, I do have a problem with that. And how would you know really? Do you ask the person if they talk like that or if they know how to spell? Okay, I feel better too. I really enjoy a well written post. ee

My surgery was in Tijuana. One lady there called the week prior to her surgery. I had 3 weeks out by my choice. Research your doctor. I think Wasabubblebutt has a link for that on her posts. Or the ones listed on this site. Good luck. ee

Your stomach is swollen and it will take a few days for that to go down. Don't force it but keep sipping liquids as much as you can so you stay as hydrated as you can. I couldn't drink 64oz at first, I barely got down 20, but it will slowly get better. I wouldn't do anything but Clear Liquids right now because you've just had surgery. If it doesn't improve, contact your surgeon/doctor.

Lotsabirds, Hi. I will go to Mexico for at least the first fill. I really want this surgeon/staff to do it since they banded me. I might look for a fill center in Phoenix after that, just depends on how it goes. So how's it working for you? Are you happy you did it? ee

Melmarlem "However, I work in a very small doctor's office and decided that instead of having my co-workers discuss my weight behind my back, I told them, so they could discuss it to my face. There are always going to be negative people who think that what we are doing is "cheating". But what a better way to educate them and proove to them what this is really all about...it's about hard work and determination. It most certainly is not taking the easy way out!! :)" What wise words! Education is the part of the answer, that's for sure. I'm just not ready to tell the folks in the office (besides my boss) because of the scrutiny. I will eventually, just not yet. I'm not quite part of the group (and probably never will be) and there so many other things those people need to discuss, not what I'm putting in my mouth. Happyhour, als74 has a good response but I was at a wedding yesterday and my friend tried to get me to eat cake and I just told her I'm still on a liquid diet. This friend is from work and she knows I was doing a sort of liquid diet (pre-op). She's wondering but I'm just telling her I'm under a nutritionist supervision and this is what I'm doing to start my weigh loss. I really like als74's answer.....I'm fat, I don't need to eat. Als74, I like your attitude. I really have to work at not being rude as much as I would like to be. Most people just don't respond positively when you're rude to them. Queenlil, great job on the weight loss. WoW:thumbup:

I too have connected recently with several people from high school. For me, it's 35 years later. I found there are a couple of people I didn't really associate with in HS that I actually like and enjoy corresponding with. On the flip side, there are still many, many people I just don't care for. One person wants to join my little reunion group, but was nixed by one of the other members. I'm alright with that because she treated a lot of people like dodo. I'm planning on a mini-reunion next year and I hope to walk in there weighing less than I did in high school. Now wouldn't that be a shock. I haven't told the reunion group what I've done yet. I need to get in the full swing of things (off liquids) first and find my way. Then I will. Good luck to you.

I wish you luck with the insurance. My insurance will not pay for weight loss anything. So I am a self pay and I went to Mexico. My heart goes out to all of you that have jumped all the hoops the insurance company puts you through and still can't get a surgery date. I wish I could have had the proceedure done here, but the cost was at a minimum $4000 more. For that money, I can go back to Tijuana and get my fills. I am looking for people my age to stay connected with through this journey. I find the support helps. PM me and I'll share my email address if you want. I keep good thoughts for your surgery days!! ee

You know, the scale can be your best/worst friend. I too get caught up in the weigh every day thing, but it rarely does me any good because my moods will be tweaked by it. Of course I am recently banded and I can't help myself, but I'm going on the one week weigh in starting today. I think for overall mental health, that will help. After I start doing fills we will see, but I hope to do this weekly. The negative feelings about being a failure are only coming from you (I hope). It seems to me any weight lost and kept off is a positive thing. Routine gets boring and I know I get tired of eating the same things over and over. Like several of the successful losers on this web site say, shake things up a bit. Change your routine. Eat something different, try a different exercise. Do something different. ee

Sorry, I'm not in your area, but I sure can type on a computer. What kind of motivation do you want....something nice and encouraging? Or more like get off your a** and walk. Someone that would check with you every day (or most days) to make sure you are doing what you say you will do? Someone that would make you accountable because you would have to report in? Well I'm not really much good at the nice part, but I can hold you accountable for check in's. I would do the same. I honestly could see myself slipping as my band opened up and allowed the not good stuff in and too much of it. And I don't like to exercise either. I do much better if I have to do it because I told someone else I have to do it and I have to check in. The only catch to this right now is I'm just barely past 1 week post-op and I'm still on a liquid diet. I don't start real food until 7-23. I can still do the food check in, but I'm still restricted on a lot of exercise until then too. Are you interested? ee

Hey Juniper, You have posted some wise words and encouragement on these boards, here's a little for you. You've taken the first few steps and if your goal is over whelming, make a much smaller goal. You'll see I have a mini-goal in my signature because that will be a milestone for me. I'm looking towards that one because I know I can reach that and it's within my scope of vision. The ultimate goal will remain, but for now, I'm just looking at 22 pounds. It doesn't depress me or make me worry if I'll actually make my goal next year because I have to get to my first one. Sheena, welcome! Right before I started this process, we went to New Orleans too! I had beignets at Cafe du Monde every day and we ate at Corino's too. I don't know about the beignets in my future, but I will be eating Italian....just not the "whole thing". Good luck!! My hope for a year from now is that I have reached my goal or very close to it and I'm traveling to Mexico for a lower body lift. I've always had that "apron" of fat on my lower stomach and I would love to have it removed. I've never tucked in a shirt or wore short shirt because I have to hide my fat. It would be nice to have that flexibility. Take care everyone.

If the guy is "right" he won't care about the noise. Go ahead and date, it would be a great stress test for him. Hopefully he has a great sense of humor. My husband has a very noisy stomach and always has. If I put my ear on his stomach, it's as noisy as mine now. He is a little overweight and the noisy stomach has been there for a long time. I would ask him if he could hear it or feel it and he says sometimes, but it doesn't bother him. Wishing you all a quieter day! ee:blink:

Banded 7-2 and today I was sore. I guess I slept wrong because I had red spot on my tummy (not at the incisions) and it hurt. I put ice on it and sort of took it easy and now it seems all better. I've been healing nicely, in fact, some of the glue came off this evening (no I wasn't picking at it, it caught on my bra). Yippee....the pool for me next week. I'm still very bruised and yes, it still hurts, but I can finally sleep on my right side (maybe thats what caused the sore spot this morning). I usually sleep on my left, but I think that is a couple of weeks away yet. I've noticed that I can drink more Water than before and I'm starting to get a little hungry. Not bad and nothing a few bites of yogurt or a V-8 doesn't handle, but before I felt like Juniper, not hungry and had a hard time actually eating. I am not keeping track of my calories now because I know they are low and what's the point. I'll have to keep track when I'm eating solid food in 2 weeks. I'm not drinking anything in great quantities and with a lot of fat or sugar. Many noises out of body....lots of burping, but not too bad stuck gas yet. I wonder what it will be like when I start eating solid foods...I may be explosive or better still, I'll be able to compete with my brother in a belching contest. LOL It's very hot here (106) and I have had to work outside the last couple of days. I try and do all my outside stuff in the morning because I don't want to be out in the afternoon. I shouldn't have to go out tomorrow. Sure would like to hear from other that are about a week out too!

Toosywoots, Sounds like at least one doctor has some idea, diet, exercise, and counting calories for the most part will do it. They don't address head hunger, nervous eating, comfort, true hunger, low blood sugar, high blood sugar, etc. All those things are a factor, but in the end its you and only you that can make the right choice of what to put in your mouth. Before I did the lap band, I was a member of Ediets (this was 2 or 3 years ago). I joined a group that made me accountable to my progress. There were daily check in's, weekly weigh-ins, and you tracked your exercise, water, calories, etc. There are so many groups, it is a little work to find one that works for you and you can "bond" with, but it really helped me with the accountability at that time. I gained the most weight after I left. Of course that web site costs money too. But I think there groups here that you have to check in with too. You might try that. I'm just 1 week post-op and my incisions are closing up and stomach is not as swollen and I'm just starting feel hunger now and then. I know when I do, I'll have to manage it sensibly especially since I'm still on a liquid diet. BUT I love V-8 and it's on the list of stuff I can drink and it help a lot with the hunger, two or three bites of yogurt help too. For you maybe some pieces of apple, or whatever fruit is good in your area now. Hang in there and keep posting...you'll find your inspiration. ee

I think you really need to stick with it. Look how well you've done so far. Look at all the improvements in your life. It will only get better with the continuation of the weight loss. Unfortunately, weight loss takes work. It took work on your pre-op and post-op diet, you can't go back to your old ways of eating but you can find a way to make the tool work for you and keep on loosing. Everyone here that has lost significant weight has made an effort to lose it and each of them say it was work. I'm so sorry your doctor didn't explain that it was just a tool. My doctor sat down with me and explained it would be me that made the band work by following the rules. I've been through enough diets my entire life to know the rules of dieting so if I can apply those rules to the lap band ones, I should be able to loose, slowly and fairly steadily. I'm still on the liquid part of the diet, but I am fully prepared to eat healthy and low fat when I'm on solid foods. I'm also prepared to mess up a little, but jump right back on the "bandwagon". Please don't give up. You are worth all the effort. You are welcome to PM if you like. I think there are many other people on this web site that have excellent advise. I read threads daily to make sure I stay focused. Do what you need to but don't give up. ee

I was banded on 7-2 by Dr. Ortiz also and had no problems coming or going. If you are being picked up by the OCC, you will be shuttled to and from. They have lots of experience with it. Good luck.

Millie, I sure hear what you are saying....especially as I'm smashing my meds to "drink" tonight. How wonderful it would be to not have worry if this medication will ruin my kidney or what other side effects they might have long term. I'm trying to not think about clothes (I have a secret weakness for them). I have many items that are too small and I can't wait to wear them again. Now these items are a size 22 and I'm looking forward to wearing them again. I'm looking forward to wearing a 24 LOL. I have the apple shape, and I'm a very round apple. My stomach has gotten so big that I can't get into the clothes I used to wear at this weight. Not to knock the younger women, but so many of them are focused on clothing and I was so hoping to have grown out of that phase. Guess not. :biggrin: