coltonwade

First I hope this is ok to post for the moderators , if it is not Please let me know : For those of you who have Laurens Hope Medical ID Bracelets ,, I had an idea today or a thought actually . My Bracelet is getting too big for me now as I loose weight. One of the draws for me for the Laurens hope Bracelets was the fact that I could get a smaller one as lost weight. However , I realized that could get quite expensive. SO I had a thought today , as some lap band groups to clothing exchanges, what about doing bracelet exchanges ? As we loose weight and need a smaller bracelet we could some how post or email each other what size we need ?? Maybe some how discuss privately how to off set the costs a bit ? I reazlied the ones that are too big are probably just sitting around no longer being used. What are ya'lls thoughts ? Its just a thought , or a process still in the works ? But I thought it might could work ?? I would be happy to help organize things if the moderators would want it off the list ? Thanks Mindy

Hi everyone, Im Mindy from Austin , was banded by Dr Rincon in San Antonio on July 16h . thought i would tell the Newbies Hi. Feel free anyone to email me or PM me Love Mindy

I am usually tight until around 2 pm . which is fine with me I normally dont eat Breakfast , never have, so i drink a Protein shake, those always go down fine. I have always eaten lunch a little late as well. So i eat lunch around 2 I am normally getting hungry around then and I eat dinner around 8 . I will have a snack between lunch and dinner. If i am really tight, which usually happens when I am under alot of stress, Like NOW i will drink warm tea or sugar free Hot chocolate to loosen things up . Sometimes under lots of stress i can feel like im having an anxiety attack , my band will almost feel like its strangling me , I know its strange, but that's how it feels. my chest gets very tight and I feel as if i can not breathe for a few minutes . So i have to watch it .. Normally warm Water helps in a pinch for those moments. :paranoid HTH Mindy

I weight myself every monday Morning before i eat with basically the same clothes on . I sleep in PJ bottoms and T shirts. So as soon as I wake up in the morning on Mondays' i walk into the kitchen ( yes my scale is in the kitchen lol) and i step on it . then i write it down . I have a weekly "weight in " on my own. My docs scale is exactly 1 lb heavier than mine . So i go by mine , I am just 3 months ( almost 4) post op So i will probably start weighting in every 2 or 3 weeks soon . But right now the scale is still moving so im ok LOL I find it keeps me motivated. there was 1 3 week period where i gained a pd and it didnt come off and didnt come off. So I worked and worked and worked. I ended up getting a fill and working my ass off at the same time . So i find the scale as a motivational tool as well . Your still early in the recovery process. Your fine , Dont be discouraged. But I agree get a scale at home and only go by it . HTH Mindy

Beau , please do not feel bombarded , that is not our intention . Like I said before it would do you no good to sit here and tell you what you want to hear. Im here for your support. i agree you need to work on healing first. And I think you did a HUGE first step by doing the surgery , espically since it seems like your husband didnt want you to do it or wasn't supporting you in it. We ARE here for you , we just do not want ( I guess I should say I ) I do not want to see you get hurt anymore than you already are. I think as you loose the weight and gain confidience you will start to see that. So I am sorry if i hurt your feelings. That was not my intention . feel free to vent and ask for support. I will tell you like it is , how i see it , i will however work on my delievery , i tend to be a bit crass sometimes. Love mindy

I am not saying I wont or dont support her, I do know how hard it is to be in this situation . However, I also know that if someone had told me " I am not going to help you if you wont help yourself " instead of " its going to be ok " or a little more tough love I might not have stayed for 3 yrs. My cousin is in an abusive realtionship right now , she called me and told me tonight as a matter of fact and told me she's gotta go to court with her husband for when she called the police on him for kicking her , she was laughing about it. Im sorry i told her i dont find that funny at ALL . She's not ready to leave . I guess what I am trying to say is I will listen , support , help , give advice, but at the same time I will tell it like it is and not beat around the bush . Maybe I need to work on how I say it ? But that comes from ME being pushed around and holding my tounge for yrs . I dont tend to do that anymore. My other point i guess is it seemed like she came here for help or support but is not really wanting it ? maybe she it will help to hear what she says. SO BEAU this is for you : Go back and read your posts and your answers as if they were your friend , and think how they sound as if they were someone else. See what YOU would tell that friend. I think you might think of things differently ?? I am here if you need anything. But like i said I wont baby anyone of my friends. I dont think that does anyone any good. I will however work on how I say things .... Mindy

YEAH CONGRATS. You will be fine. What a great Treat ! who is doing your surgery ?? Mindy

Crazy has a good point i wanted to make earlier. WHY are you waiting for HIM to see if he's filed for divorce ? you said he " SAID" He got divorce papers ? He didnt , its a mind game . SO dont wait for him to do it , he wont , he's too weak , go file those papers, stop allowing HIM to have control over you ! Mindy

My aunt has been in a pathetic marriage all her life. He I am pretty sure physically abused her many yrs ago . but I know he emotionally abuses her now. She's left an emotional basket case so are her kids. She now says shes waiting for him to die so she can have a life ,how sad is that ? Im sorry i tell it like it is, your in no way shape or form ready to leave, have no intention of doing so . If you want help and will take suggestions then take them , but stop making excuses for HIM and why your ALLOWING him to abuse YOU and why its been ok all these yrs for your daughter to see it and witness it. Your daughter has been taught that its ok for men to treat women like a door mat . Your right , your daughter will love him, however do you not think she will hate him as well ? Do you not think might not respect you for allowing yourself to be treated this way ?? Honey , ive been where you are and it does you NO GOOD at all for someone to sit here and stroke your back and say "its all gonna be ok " it WONT IF YOU STAY !!!!!!!!! It will if you leave. There is a saying I heard a long time ago, " I would much rather be alone than be with someone and be Lonely " right now your w/ someone and lonely . Stand up and stop being a door mat for him to walk and and teach your daughter to be a strong young woman that she and YOU can be and teach her how she deserves to be treated ! Mindy

I asked my doc at my post op appt at 2 weeks and his response was " I didnt do anything down there ( as he pointed between my legs) you can do it if you want " ROLFMAO my docs a goof ball . It was a little un comfortable on top . :faint:( did i just say that ) My stomach kind of rubbed ( again im saying things out loud ) MINDY doing away before i embarrass myself more

I have been reading the posts on here. And No offense to Joyce , I know you said your daughter joined the group right ? it really seems to be your daughter needs to do more research on her OWN . SHE needs to read the good , bad and ugly . As much as I love my band ,and I know the ins and outs of it , before i was banded I would defend it to DEATH to anyone , well i still do . I think you , again no offense and i think you woudlnt do it intentially , i think we all probably do it , but i think you put your own " spin" on it and would leave certain things out . that's why i think its important for HER to read. She needs to read what is important to her. you might leave out something because its not imporant to YOU , what if after she's banded she said , " MOM Why didnt you tell me about that " cause it was important to her . does that make sense ?? Your daughter really needs to read and read and read and make sure SHE can handle the band on HER terms. I think Isabella is a perfect person for her to talk to as well as some of the other young bandsters on here ... Just my input mindy

Indio brought up 2 good points. #1 He wont change, people who get off on belittling, hitting and putting down and hurting the one's the "love" dont change . My ex use to tell me this was all my fault, if i had not done this or that he would not have "HAD" to hit me. someone tells you that for so long you start to buy it . SO I thought" if I would "behave" he wouldnt " HAVE " To hit me . This is where counseling comes in . You need counseling to help you see you do or did nothing wrong , this is all him sweetie ! Counseling is VERY Important too for the next step .. for when you do decide to move on with someone else it will help you NOT get into the same relationship again . I went from being a door mat to not taking any shit from ANYONE. Sometimes THAT gets me into trouble now lol but i was "muffled" for so long that i now tell it like it is . One extreme to another . You can do this .... Mindy

Hugs to you for having the confidence to get banded with out any support. THAT is something I never would have done ! I was in an abusive relationship for 3 yrs off and on when i was very young ( started when i was 18) . Dont allow him to beat you down . Get out of the " door mat" cycle as I call it. however, do not allow your self to be physically hurt. Do you have children ? do you have family ? There is always a way to get out . YOu do NOT HAVE TO STAY . I know I know according to him its always your fault. Abusers tend to prey on the over weight woman , they know their self esteem is low to begin with so they are easy "targets" do NOT Let yourself be a target anymore . Do you want to waste more of your life with him ? You had surgery to get your life back right ? Dont waste your new life with HIM . I KNOW how hard it is to leave a person doing this to you. I did it myself, i stayed longer than I should have. But its not worth staying. Like i said you had the Confidence , nerve, and guts to have this surgery on your own . that says ALOT and took A LOT . You can do anything on your own . Im here for your if you need support . feel free to IM me, email me or PM me. Hang in there , you can do this , BOTH things you can do . Love Mindy

Have you ever been thin around this person ? If not then your friendship might change . If she is a real friend she will stand by you , just as you would if she were thin or over weight. I had some friends, long time friends over 15 plus yrs we had been friends who i think got use to be being the "fat friend" ( I was thin once upon a time and they knew me thin) and they were all thinner than me. when i told them i was getting the surgery initally i got some negative reactions . Some of it I think was due to them not knowing much about the surgery some I think was the " Oh no Mindy's not going to be the fat friend anymore" They eventually all came around and are all very supportive now. one friend who is over weight herself, but not as over weight as I am comes and walks with me . She's considering the surgery now . If she's a friend she will come around. I would tell her that comment hurt you . And to not say those things to you .. Good luck Mindy

ROFLMAO BITE YOUR BAND LADY !!!!! I made sure he was snipped BEFORE I HAD SURGERY ! I told my husband " I may have THOUGHT I knew what i was getting into but its different once it happens to you , Just like you might THINK you know how bad it will hurt you when i knock the sh*t out of you but you dont KNOW until I DO IT " LMAO Mindy

OHH I had a total melt down about a week or so after surgery . Around the time I really started to get hungry . I when i could have creamy type Soups. I wanted cream of potatoe Soup , only problem was it tasted like CRAP when i finally ate it . Then i wanted Popsicles , tasted TOO Sweet , then tea , tasted like coffee grounds. NOTHING tasted right . I lost it . My poor husband didnt know what to do . EXCEPT he made the GRAVE Mistake of saying 2 things wrong, he told me " Well you knew what you were getting into honey " and I forgot how he worded it but he stopped short of saying basically " You did this to yourself" OMG I almost killed him :whoo: !!! I think your reaction is normal. My kids still eat my "Stuff" I label my stuff now . lol After a few break downs they stop I PROMISE LOL What your feeling is normal and it will pass.. Love mindy

I think you are right. there is a very fine line . I probably would do well with a slight unfill just a little . still waiting for doc to call back lol Mindy

I had my second fill on the 5th of this month . 2cc's Everything was fine, liquids went down fine , semi solids seemed to be going down fine . ( My doc has a different post fill diet than most he requires 3 days clears 3 days liquids , 3 days mushies, 3 days solids) I was just about to go on solids and my mushies started to not go down very well. Now keep in mind I am under an EXTREME amount of stress right now . which I suspect might have something to do with my band being overly tight . Solids do not stay down now at all, I had meat loaf tonight and after about 4 bites I was done it stayed down. So i stopped. A few hours later I tried to eat some more and it came back up. its been like this for a few days now . Its sort of hit or miss on what I can and cant eat. So im on staying on liquids now until I call my doc in the am . Part of me wonders how much of this isnt finally having some good restrition and im not doing something right . Maybe it is good restriction , possibly being overly tight from the stress as well ??? So i dont know what to do . so im calling the doc in the AM. Anyone who's been too tight before how did you know ??? Thanks Mindy PS Sorry im rambling a bit

You can get that in the US . My doc is accessible 24/7 to his patients ! and he was only a few thousand more than going to mexico Mindy

Thanks. I am loosing close to a pound a day right now. Im waiting for my doc to call me back right now. I think i need an unfill. This morning I woke up and could just feel the band tight. Almost like I couldnt catch my breathe. I sometimes feel like that after I get my fills. So I am pretty sure I need an unfill if even a slight unfill . Mindy

Isabella, I have to say you are one impressive young lady . You are very mature, you are very informed and you are the kind of teenager that deserves the band, you will and have done well with it . you are amazing. Im very glad you have jumped in on this conversation , you will be a great asset to this mother and daughther. there is a girl in Austin ( texas) who no one in the US would band( she didnt qualify ) so her mom took her to Mexico to get the band , from interviews it was pretty obvious she was not ready and did not under stand the band, she too was 15, her reasons seemed soley for vanity reasons. I have to tell you you are a great spokes person for the RIGHT reasons for teens getting the band. You as well as your parents should be proud ! Your doc made a great choice banding you and you seem to have done a great job.... keep it up ! Mindy

If he is a respritory therapist i would think he would want to educate himself about the procedure. Maybe he can get some opinions from doctors or other health care professionals he trusts. I use to work in the health care field and generally speaking health care people want to learn more about health issues that they do not know about . SO you might want to approach it that way with him ? Ask him to speak to people he knows , trusts and works with . Ask him to at least go to the consults and seminars and listen .. And worst comes to worst have her wait until she's 18 OR do it with out him ! LOL Mindy

I have to be on liquids the day of the fill , if your fill is at 2 , I would not eat when you get up and call and ask them . Or can you find anyone on the boards that has the same doc you do and see what his policy is ?? Mindy

Wow I think that would be a tough one . Just because i know how some people can be about the band. Will your husband go to a seminar with you and your daughter ? Are you going to do this in the US or Mexico ? I think the best approach would be to educate him , inform him as much as possible about this. I cant remeber her name ... there is another 16 yr old on the boards who had the surgery and she's done AMAZING . Maybe you could get some info from her parents ? education I think is the best approach . However, being that she is 16 I think its very important that she understands what it is going to take and she is commited to the band. There was a teen here in Austin that wento to Mexico got the band but i dont think her or her mom were realistic about any of it . so i think its important to make sure she knows what sh'es getting into . HTH Mindy

Jackie Guerra's book Under Construction is AWESOME ! . She is awesome. Plus the proceeds of the book to to help fund WLS for people who can not afford it. She did have RNY but her book is very funny , emotional and motivational. JackieGuerra.com HTH Mindy