pnw218

I can relate to that! I probably had fast food for lunch at least once a week and ate out for dinner 1-2 times per week, sometimes more, depending on our schedule. I ordered the fish sandwich at Jack in the Box, only ate 1 of the 2 pieces of fish. Taco Bell is great because it is so cheap. I have gone there a couple of times (chicken soft taco or bean burrito). I can barely eat half tho! What I would really like is a salad. Will be nice when that is back on my list of foods!

Not often that I love Monday mornings, but two weeks in a row???? I ate weird all weekend, some good, some not so good, since we were at the regional volleyball tourney both days. But it happened!!!! I am in the 150's!!!! Just barely, lol but I saw 159.8 this am!! My youngest daughter and I are going to the mall later today for new jeans, nails and pedi's! She was exhausted to the point of tears last night. We decided today was a stay home, sleep in day. She does have to finish any homework first tho : ) So, I may have only lost 2 pounds in the last week, but going from the 160's to the 150's makes it feel like so much more! Gotta always look on the bright side!

Jillian, You are sure getting a wide range of opinions : ) Since I always seem to be the rebel around here, I am going in a different direction. I totally agree with you that reducing your stomach to a normal size could be a great solution for you. Hopefully you will be able to find a couple of surgeons to discuss it with and see if it is a feasible, realistic solution. I am sure there have been similiar cases before and someone will know the answer. Most of us have eating issues or we wouldn't be where we are or were. I personally don't feel that you have any more issues than anyone else. I know that the mental side of the sleeve surgery has been much more difficult than the physical. Truly, one day at a time, one meal at a time. It is a work in progress and for me, the more success I see, the easier it is to accept the amount I can eat. The mental will adjust and correct over time, just like most any habit to be changed. I would compare your situation to the many women who have bladder issues. This is coming from a laymen's view, not a medical one :smile1:. I have heard about many women encountering bladder problems after having children and getting older. This past year I noticed a change in myself. If the bladder was full and I sneezed, it was time to change clothes! LOL That was going to be my "next project" to discuss with my doctor. However, the weight issue shot to the top with the sleep apnea and back problems. AND, the best part .... I no longer have bladder issues after having the surgery because my bladder never gets too full now :thumbup:. Bladders get stretched out, drop, whatever - very similar sounding as your stomach being stretched out. People have surgeries for many different reasons. Many people here have talked about having cosmetic surgery after losing weight. I really don't see this as being much different. Cosmetic surgery also isn't going to cure any deep rooted issues and how many ever consider counseling after having their breasts lifted, reduced or augmented? Lots of people have cosmetic surgery expecting miracles. I know it made me feel better about myself however it certainly didn't change my life or make stress go away. Do your research, talk to a couple of doctors and then make the best decision for you. Good Luck! Would be interested in what drs advise you and what you decide! :wink0:

Congrats!! I am anxious to get to "your stage", but at least now I know I actually have a realistic chance of doing it! I hope more people learn about the sleeve and have the opportunity to get it. It is an amazing tool!

yikes!! I would have opted out on the spinal block also! really don't want any part of those post-op headaches. I had an epidural once for my hysterectomy and that was just fine. The recent lumbar injection could have been with or without sedation but I opted for not knowing the 8" needle was digging around in my back.

That would drive me nuts!! June seems forever away but since Saturday is May 1st, I guess not! Think positive. Now you have a little more time to get organized before the big day : ) Ya know, I took 5 days of prednisone and never even thought about adding it to my history! I had to complete an updated med list the day of surgery .... but totally forgot about that! It was 3 weeks before my surgery and after I had already submitted my original medical history. oops!! If I had gotten sick, I couldn't have blamed that on anyone except myself! Now I wonder why the prednisone is an issue or if it matters how long you take it .... I also had a lower lumbar steroid injection about 10 days after surgery. hmmmmm?

no kidding! I ate chocolate cake and cream cheese covered brownies last weekend. I don't want anything to do with chocolate this week! In fact, part of the chocolate cake is still sitting on the counter. The teens won't even touch it! LOL

A smart man if I do say so! :001_smile: It does still vary alot tho by person ... some women have a epidural asap. I delivered three 9lb babies with no meds in 8hrs, 2 hrs and 1.5hrs start to finish. Mind over matter and if that doesn't work, by all means ask for meds. No sense being miserable when your body is trying to heal :smile1:

Tracking your food/liquid intake is very enlightening! I was using www.sparkpeople.com because I could also access it on my droid. It has alot of foods entered and you can manually add other items. I have done atkins so much over the years that after tracking for a month or so, I quit. I have a pretty good pattern established and am doing ok. If I hit a big stall, I will start it up again.

I am very happy to hear you will be getting this surgery! It will be a huge blessing to you! Good for you for bonding with your sister. While my parents are still alive, they are not your typical supportive parents and it crushes me that my children basically have no grandparents to spoil them. I have a 6 month old granddaughter and am already planning her first trip to Disneyland, etc! My sister, brother and I are very close and talk almost every day. We only have each other. When one of us needs something, the other two are there to help. I am sure you sister is very grateful to have your support. I am sorry to hear about your mother passing away during surgery. I am sure that has a huge affect on you now. Being sedated is always a bit scary and that is normal. Some of my 9 surgeries have been more elective than required, and I often think I am being very selfish when it comes to not waking up and leaving my children. However, keep in mind that doctors do this every day. Over 145,000 surgery are performed every day. From what I have read, the risk of death is less than 1%. And the condition of the patient going into surgery has a huge impact on that, so probably even less for a medically stable person. The anesthesiologist only puts you out as far as needed and will monitor you very closely. You will fall asleep very quickly. The other good thing about anesthesia is that it has a great amnesia effect, meaning you will also not remember anything from surgery or for the first portion of recovery. You will be well taken care of. The doctors will do everything they can for a safe surgery; they don't want to lose you any more than you want to pass. If you are very nervous before surgery, ask for a relaxant med. They can usually give you something in tablet form or valium in your iv. It will really help!

My guess would be yes and yes. From what I have read, the risk of a leak goes down tremendously after the first 7 days. So you are pretty darn safe! :svengo: After that point, it would seem to be a very unfortunate instance of a weakness in the stomach seam or extensive over eating. I really don't get the overeating tho, just on personal experience that even a bite or two too much causes great discomfort. Relax and enjoy the ride. There are plenty of other things to worry about.

10 weeks today ~ and halfway to goal!! ok, not exactly if we are counting tenths but pretty darn close! :svengo: 32.2 lost, 32.8 to go! Next week I should be in the 150's. Just amazing! I needed a boost this am; haven't slept good all week, was going to spend an extra hour or two in bed this am just watching tv. Then the housekeeper showed up! Oops! Its Thursday! LOL So - it was great to see I was down another pound since I didn't get my quiet morning Long day at work today. Have to finish quarterly reports. yuck. Tomorrow I am out of the office most of the day with meetings, PT, etc. A party at our house tomorrow night. Then 2 full days of volleyball for our daughter's club team on Saturday and Sunday. Life in the fast lane! It's just really "not fair" that calories don't get burned for being "busy". :blushing:

I love fish and most any seafood! And being here where it is fresh is a bonus! Also the reason I love to go on cruises and to Alaska. I have had fish a few times, both frozen breaded and grilled. And shrimp - breaded and sauteed. Has gone down just fine each time. I may have to eat some today now that I am thinking about it! : )

I think www.thedailyplate.com might do it. And I don't eat any meat that isn't "domestic". LOL ok - I have prepared and eaten alligator, it was good. I had goat and camel in Africa, the goat was charbroiled and good, the camel was too fatty and made me gag. But I don't do any other bambi or similar type meats.

You are just a couple of weeks ahead of me, and I can tell you that I have had a few of those days too. This morning, I decided to do a little shock treatment. I only had Protein shakes during the day, and half a small bean burrito tonite. I am hoping to see a change tomorrow. I have had a down week, ovulating on the left side and the cysts are acting up so quite sore, and just kinda cranky. Haven't accomplished hardly anything at the office. Really makes me mad. I keep saying I'll do it "tomorrow". It must be that #13 curse for you. I guess we can't feel perfect 100% of the time. You are about 2/3 of the way to your goal already. Be happy! That truly is something to celebrate! If all else fails, have a shot of tequila and go to bed ; )

Tiffany! Seriously???? ugh. I am so gonna buy a ticket and fly to Chattanooga! lol Measure out 2 ounces. 1 bite, wait 5 mins. repeat. if you feel full along the way, stop eating and don't finish! : ) Later you can speed that up but it is soooo early now. So many times I really wanted to finish all 2 ounces, and that last bite or two put me over the edge. And then I suffered with the tummy ache for an hour.

Seriously! I want what he is having! : ) Great lyrics! Glad you are doing so well! :thumbup:

thanks, I appreciate it. she came to my younger daughter's baseball game last week, and couldn't say anything to me without sarcasm. I left the bleachers to sit by myself. Didn't want her to see the tears. I used to wash her mouth out with soap, but now she is taller and stronger than me :redface1:.

Good luck and a speedy recovery!

yea! I wanna be you! Congrats!!

Hi Tom! I am just a little south of you! It doesn't seem like your current dr is going to be very helpful or proactive. Maybe you could gather some stats on how many bands slip and what the usual cause is? If you know that it wasn't your fault, then I would definitely pursue it. There seems to be a ton of Lapband ads on tv right now for surgeons in the area. Totally drives me nuts now that I know more about bands. I would think your doctor wouldn't pass up the chance to make a little more money - does he do the sleeve? Maybe you can convince him to help with letters to your insurance. If not, maybe a free consulatation with an attorney. Good Luck!

you betcha!! so glad you were able to post! happy that part is over; get thru the next couple of days and then you'll be celebrating! Congrats!!