Search the Community

As i have surpassed the 2.5 year mark since receiving my band 1/19/07 I have a question- what are your long range expectations and how often are you still going to the doc for appts and fills? Do you think that is it possible to just max out of what the band can do for you? Are there people out there who were banded way before us who still go to the doc for appointments and fills?? I have the "old" band which is 4cc. I had my last fill April 2009 and I have about 3.25 cc in my band. My doc gives fills in .25cc increments. My last fill showed some reflux and she took some out so I know that they are not going to give me any more anytime soon b/c I am still experiencing some reflux & just a little bit of fill makes a difference. I have been on a prolonged plateau-many many months. I have tried every combination of caloric intake vs. exercise i can think of and nothing has made a difference. While I am grateful that i have not gained, I feel that I am doing too much to just be maintaining. I need to see some downward movement. Is becoming harder to stay motivated but I am afraid to totally give up b/c I don't want to fail and go back to what I was. I try to focus on the NSV's such as overall improved health, blood sugar and blood pressure good, cholesterol going down, even better clothes etc. But it is getting harder every month that the scale does not change. My doc says that I have been 'fat' for so long that my body is fighting it. All I want to see is 199 after an all time high of 368. My body will not let me stay under 220. So my question is what I stated in my opening. Will there come a time where I will totally drop off and not go to the doc for follow ups/fills and that be the end of the road??

That's a great NSV - actually, it is 2 NSV's. The fact that you aren't dreading the photo's is an NSV as well (it would be for me, that's for sure!). I had to giggle when you mentioned the matching shoes...for a second I thought you meant you were wearing two shoes that were the same! I once wore a navy shoe on one foot, with a black one on the other - it wasn't until someone commented in the afternoon that I noticed.

That is great to hear! I am happy that you were able to fit in the chair too!! Good NSV! Good idea on ordering the box with your meal, that way, you don't eat too much! SMART! I look forward to the day when I can go out to eat again too! Kelly

Debbie and I have spent the last few weeks helping my brother-in-law and dear friend who is in his 80's deal with a blood build up in his brain caused by a fall. I have held him up, picked him up, and generally guided him through his days before he went into surgery. Now we are at the hospital every day helping him and my sister-in-law cope with the ordeal. Debbie is out today doing her sister's job, cleaning houses, so her sister can stay with her husband in the hospital and still have an income. My friend, his wife, daughters and other relatives cannot thank us enough for our love and care for him. We deem it our great privilege. Over a year ago neither Debbie nor I would have had the strength do any of this. Knowing the limitations of our energy we would not have had the desire to help. But now, after losing over 100 pounds each, we have energy that's aching to be used. We've gone from reluctance to move at all to joyful anticipation of activity. We've both gone back to our 20's and we have forgotten that we are in our 60's in the way we act, dress and think. This is one of the most rewarding NSV's we have ever had. Power to be helpful is a great treasure.

Congratulations, Fran!!! I'm glad you're all fixed up now. Believe me, my own journey has been extremely frustrating so I know how you feel! Looking forward to hearing about your nsv's soon!!!

Welcome to the forum. I've never noticed how many teens are on this forum, but I wish I had been able to get WLS back then. It would have saved me years and years of misery. Welcome to the Loser's Bench. You have any NSV's yet?

How is it that I can loose 43 lbs & only go dwn 2 pants sizes I am very frustrated b/c my size 24s r way to big size 22 r big but comfy however when I went ti get a new pair of jeans size 20 is kinda tight! Wtf! I know I should be happy with the decrease but it just feels like I am working my ass off & not seeing as big of nsv's I expected... Uhg what I would give to b in the teens again Hopefully my fill tues helps.

So yesterday marked two months since my surgery. I'm down 43 pounds (I'll take 21.5 pound loss a month), and I'm feeling great. As far as NSVs go, I can wear my wedding ring; I don't have to use an extender on airplanes; I'm actually running again; I've bought some clothes at regular stores rather than Big & Tall; I've entered "twonderland" for the first time in 4 years. This has been a great journey thus far, as I'm really looking at food differently now. Congrats and thanks to all of you! You all have been a big part of my journey!

For me: I have just past the 3 month mark (surgery was May 18). The first few weeks were tough because of my internal stitch pulling, but at the 3-4 week mark it just popped and everything got much better. No real nausea and I could do liquids pretty easily so that was a blessing. However, I didn't lose much weight in first few weeks. I think it was like 4-5 pounds. Most of this was probably due to swelling and healing so I didn't sweat it too much. I was even able to do a trip to Mexico City for work without any issues (I did take some Protein mixes as back up in case the food wasn't going to work). July was a bit more challenging as I hit my first real stall. Thanks to everyone on this board posting about stalls, I didn't panic and kept to my plan. After about 1 1/2 weeks I suddenly started losing again. Yea! Also, I started telling people that I had the surgery, but only if they ask. I did tell my family after the 6 week mark just because I hate that feeling of being evasive when they know something is going on. I had wanted to wait until I was past the most risky time for complications so they wouldn't worry as much. Everyone seems fine with it, but if they aren't I have decided just to shrug and keep moving. It isn't their life and they don't have to live with it so their opinion isn't really that important. Not thumbing my nose at them, just deciding not to let it bother me. August has seen some good changes and a little bit of a concern. I hit Onedurland on my 3 month surgerversary, which is a total loss of 57 pounds. I have also dropped several sizes which lead to a closet purge and a day of trying stuff on. That totally counts as a NSV in my world. People have really started to notice and are asking me what I am doing. If they ask me directly I am honest. I also try to say that there are other ways to lose weight and just doing a high protein - low carb approach can work just as well. I just knew I wouldn't be able to stick to it. I think I am really helping out the sales of Premier Protein which seem to be flying off the shelves of my Sam's and costco. Maybe I should ask to be a sales rep. The one concern I have is rather recent, and I am not really sure if it is a real concern at the point. Over the last week I have noticed an increase in what might be a little bit of heart burn. I am really hoping that I don't get GERD from this so I am watching it closely. I was taking pepcid for the first 3 months on DR. orders (I also had a hiatial hernia fixed when they did the VSG) so I just went off it recently. The other thing is a small pain just to the left of my belly button. This just started in the last few days so I am going to watch it and talk to to the PA about it next week if it doesn't go away. I should be well past the point of having stitches pull or anything like that. I still struggle with eating out and limiting carbs (insert Mexican restaurant chips here...). I am also still figuring out how to fit in exercise but that has always been a challenge for me. Anyway, I would love to hear how this journey is going for everyone else. I know it isn't the same for everyone and I love to hear the different perspectives. It helps so much to know you aren't in this alone.

I was invited to speak at a seminar and said yes. Well it was yesterday and I loved it. I not only got to talk about my complications which I kept to a minimum but also got to talk about some of the issues that we have all gone through and were not prepared for. That was the best part. They clapped several times for me during my talk and after some came up to me and thanked me for my honesty and helping them make the decision to have the surgery. One girl was banded in 2010 and never reached her goal. She told me that because of what she heard from me today she knows she has the strength to finish the journey and learn to maintain.. Some called me strong and brave...I was just so happy to be there and talk about WLS. It was a privilege I have been looking forward to since I was a woman at a seminar hearing another woman's story.... They asked me if I would do it again. Speak at a seminar...And of course the answer was Hell Yes...!!! You have to be at goal before you are invited and I am there....It was a real NSV for me. It is the beginning of my desire to help others take this life saving opportunity!

Hi Karen! First of all congrats on your weight loss! We have to remember we didn't gain the weight over night and its not going to come off that way either. I say that with the admission that I was weighing myself almost 5 times a day at first! My poor scale I ONLY weigh myself in the morning now in just bra/underwear. Also, I was stuck for a few days, teetering up and down a pound or two then it came off all of the sudden. You have to look at NSV's too. How are your clothes fitting? How are you feeling? In regards to protein shakes, my surgeon agrees with your PCP- most of the protein should be derived from solid foods. I maybe have 1-2 protein shakes per week and I find it is more at late afternoon right when I get home from work I'm starving! So I'll just do a protein shake instead. You should also notice a difference with each fill. I got my second fill 3/8 and notice a difference already. Just to warn you though, after each fill it seems like its a miracle, but then as I'm "needing" another fill (around 4 weeks) I've noticed I could eat a horse. My surgeon said that once we hit "the sweet spot" with fills, I shouldn't feel like that anymore. Mags

Hey, RNYTalk Members! Now that Memorial Day has passed and we’re well into June, it’s summer time! Why not use the warm weather and casual dress code for motivation to stick to your diet? Of course, the newsletter’s a great way to remind you to be good, too! We keep you updated on what’s going on at RNYTalk.com, and we’ll jump right into this newsletter with: Gastric Bypass Support Groups: Are you taking full advantage of special forum groups on RNYTalk.com? To Tell or Not to Tell – Do you tell others about your gastric bypass surgery? Member Spotlight – None other than Alex Brecher, founder of RNYTalk.com! Bypass Challenge – This is a great one to kick off the summer. We encourage you to stay involved with RNYTalk.com. Ask your questions, answer your peers and keep your profile current. All of your participation keeps you on track and helps everyone else! Always let us know when you have suggestions, comments and questions. Enjoy the newsletter. Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder RNYTalk.com RNY Support Groups: What are They, and How Do They Help You? RNYTalk.com can be a huge part of your life. Many of us check the boards every day or more, and depend on the site for support, information and encouragement. Joining one or more RNYTalk.com support groups is a great way to get even more out of RNYTalk.com. These support groups are like private clubs, but all you have to do to join is to participate! Just look at the different types groups we have. Monthly groups based on when you got your bypass Groups based on your hometown, age and weight goals. The bypass buddies and mentors forum in case you need a little extra help or want to help someone in their weight loss journey. And more…for religious bypassers, PCOS patients, women, men, atheist bypassers…and way more. These groups are smaller discussion forums for bypassers who have a lot of things in common with you even beyond your weight loss surgery. They may have great solutions to problems that you’re having, and they can be super sympathetic to your situation. You can make close friends on these boards because you already have so much in common, and because you can spend a lot more “one-on-one” time with them. Come on over to the RNYTalk.com support group page and see which groups you want to join! Hot on the Boards: Coming out of the WLS Closet. To tell or not to tell? That’s a pretty sensitive question for a lot of weight loss surgery patients. It’s normal to feel embarrassed about your surgery, especially when you’re dealing with people who look down on you. Always remember that you don’t have to let others make you feel bad. As long as you’re healthy and happy, you should feel proud of your accomplishments. Anyone who truly loves you will also be proud. It’s a personal decision about telling people about weight loss surgery. You might tell your closest friends and family first, and let others in on the secret when they start to ask you how you lost so much weight. You don’t ever have to tell anyone if you’re shy or just don’t want to. Or, if you prefer, you can tell everyone as soon as you set the date for your surgery. Maybe that’ll make you feel more accountable and inspire you to success. What are your thoughts? Do you tell people that you’ve gotten roux-en-Y gastric bypass? How do you choose when to tell, how much to say and whom to tell? Do you have any tips for other gastric bypass patients? Tell us about it! First Member Spotlight – It’s Alex! We promised, and now we’ve delivered! It’s time for the first true Member Spotlight, and who better to be honored than…Alex! He’s the founder of RNYTalk.com and the other communities belonging to WLSBoards.com. He manages and promotes the boards to make sure that they’re here for everyone. He is truly passionate about helping others reach the same weight loss success that he did. Here’s his story. He’s the handsome, friendly face you see hanging out on the forums, but he took the same journey as many of you to achieve those looks. Alex struggled with obesity and diets for years without finding permanent weight loss success. He finally realized that he needed to lose the weight if he wanted to be around for his children for years to come. Alex got the lap-band, lost more than 100 pounds and never looked back. Thrilled with his new energy and health, Alex had the motivation and confidence to stop smoking. Today he is an active, lean family man who loves to run, bike and spend time with his children. In 2003, Alex founded LapBandTalk.com, which quickly became the largest weight loss surgery community in the world. He started VerticalSleeveTalk.com in February of 2009, and the other WLSBoards, RNYTalk.com and SleevePlicationTalk.com, followed in 2011. Alex works hard to make sure that all members to have positive experiences and benefit from being part of the communities. Do you have someone you’d like to see featured in the Member Spotlight? Would you like to be our spotlighted member? Come tell us in the Member Spotlight forum! It’s a regular feature of the newsletters to let you learn a little more about someone in our community with an inspirational story or who helps out our members. Thanks for your nominations so far! Bypass Challenge! Challenge Yourself and Achieve Something New! We give you a challenge in each Bypass Newsletter. It’s not a challenge for you to compete against anyone else. It’s just a way to set a new goal for yourself to try something new or push yourself a little harder. Nobody’s keeping score, so try it! You can always find the old challenges in the Challenge Forum. So far, the two challenges have been: Try a new food or recipe. It’s pretty simple. Come up with a new recipe or try a new food that fits on your diet. Tell us about it! Recognize your non-scale victory (NSV): An NSV is something that is an accomplishment during your weight loss journey, but it isn’t based on the number on the scale. It might be something like fitting into a dress you like or being able to keep up with your grandchildren without getting tired.. It’s never too late to try the old challenges and write about them. Share what you come up with to brag a little and help out others. The New Challenge: Be an Exercise Buddy! This challenge is great for your health and the health of a lucky new or old friend. Why? Over the next two weeks, your challenge is to do a workout with a new person. Some ideas for the challenge are to: Ask your neighbor to take a walk with you Ask someone at your gym to be your partner while you both lift weights Go for a bike ride with your kids or spouse Take a new exercise class Be creative! The goal is to do something fun and healthy, and maybe make a new friend or two along the way. Don’t forget to post your challenge results in the Challenge Forum. The forum’s also great place to go if you need ideas or have advice for other RNY members so they can complete the challenge. Good luck! And Finally: Please Support Us! Just as a reminder, we’d like to ask you to support us when you can. Hopefully you value RNYTalk.com and all of its free services. We’d like to remind you to please ask your surgeon and other healthcare providers to post RNYTalk.com fliers in their offices. We’re always growing, and you can help. Thank you. That does it for this newsletter. Thanks for reading and for your continued participation on the boards. Take care! Sincerely, Alex ==============================================================If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, you may unsubscribe by going to your Control Panel and clicking on the Newsletters tab, or clicking on the following link: http://www.rnytalk.c...&tab=newsletter

FINALLY NSV....went to the movies Saturday...without thinking I crossed my legs!!!!!!! Cant remember the last time I could!!!!!4 weeks post op weight has not changed in over a week. Dr appt next week hopefully will be released to exercise. Still on mushies....so want a salad! Weight loss since surgery 25 lbs.

RNYTalk.com News Hey, RNYTalk.com Members! It’s time for another update from RNYTalk.com. This Newsletter keeps you up to date on the latest happenings on RNYTalk.com, and there’s a lot happening! Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s newsletter. Launch of the RNYTalk.com app for Kindle. Encouragement to welcome new RNYTalk.com members in the “Tell Your Story” Forum. Tick and Track your way to success! A woman from Pennsylvania lost 190 pounds after gastric bypass and she’s training for a triathlon! First Member Spotlight: Coming Soon! Newsletter Challenge: summary of the previous one, and a new challenge to try. Visit RNYTalk.com often to stay on track with your weight loss journey and stay motivated to follow your diet and exercise program to get the success you deserve with gastric bypass. Stay involved in the discussion forums, and always let us know if you have any comments, suggestions or questions. Take care of yourselves and each other. Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder RNYTalk.com Kindle App Launched! The RNYTalk.com app for the Kindle has launched! You can download it for free from Amazon for instant use on your Android. The Kindle app joins the lineup of RNYTalk.com apps for iPod, iPad and. All of these apps are fully functional, so you can read and post to the forums, upload photos and send private messages. Don’t go anywhere without RNYTalk.com! Don’t forget about the contest to celebrate the launch of our new apps. The contest to win a free iPod Touch is still on, and you can get the details in the first RNYTalk.com newsletter. There’s still time to enter; just complete your member profile and post to the forums to become eligible. The more you post and more involved you are on RNYTalk.com, the better your chances of winning. Your chances improve because you get points for posting on the forums, joining a group, uploading photos, completing My Surgery, My Surgeon or My Roux-en-Y Story and referring a friend to RNYTalk.com. Wondering How You Can Help Out Other RNYTalk.com Members Even More? RNYTalk.com has thousands of members. You come here regularly for information, support and advice during all stages of your weight loss journey. Some of you visit often to read the forums, but you don’t post very often. Some of you post regularly. Both kinds of members are fantastic because RNYTalk.com is dedicated toward helping everyone who needs it. We’re a welcoming, supportive community. We know that many of you go above and beyond the call of duty, and you want to know how you can use RNYTalk.com to become even more supportive of your fellow bypassers. A few of you have asked about it, and we know a lot more of you are wondering the same thing. A great first step is to reach out to new members. Greet them when they post on the “Tell Your Story” Forums, and answer any newbie questions to help them learn the ropes. And thanks! Tickers and Trackers Help You Be More Successful! What do you need to keep yourself on track, show the world who you are and remind yourself of what you’ve accomplished? Tickers and trackers, of course! Tickers let you mark your BMI, body fat, weight and countdown to surgery. They show your starting value, where you currently are and your goal value. Trackers are for recording your current body measurements. You get to customize them by choosing what they look like. We encourage you to make your tickers and trackers public, so that they are displayed when you post in the forums. That helps you stay and inspires your fellow bypassers. If you’re a little shy, you can make your ticker private so that only you see it. In the News: Woman Trains for Triathlon after Gastric Bypass The story of Traci Schanewolf from Pennsylvania is an inspiring one. According to an article from WFMZ.com, Ms. Schanewolf weighed 330 pounds just a year ago. She had “tried everything to lose weight,” but was never able achieve her goal weight or prevent the weight from coming back on. She felt like a failure. On May 23, 2011, Ms. Schanewolf has gastric bypass surgery. Now, she’s happy and fit, and has even completed a 42-mile bike ride. She weighs 140 pounds and is training for a triathlon. Many of you may relate to this story. You may have tried a bunch of diets, watched your weight yo-yo or go up for years and felt out of control or hopeless just like Ms. Schanewolf. If you’re considering gastric bypass, this story may help you make your decision. If you’ve already had roux-en-Y, maybe this story will inspire to set a goal to finish your own bike ride, road race or triathlon. Ms. Schanewolf is careful to remind readers that you need to be careful with your diet to make sure your surgery is successful. Coming Soon: Member Spotlights! We introduced them in the previous newsletter, and they’re coming soon…Keep your eyes peeled for member spotlights! Each RNYTalk.com newsletter that comes out from now on will feature a different member. You’ll get to read all about our honorees. Activity in the Forums! Thanks to those of you who have posted in the member spotlight forum to nominate yourself or another Bypasser! Please keep the nominations coming. Within the coming weeks, many of you will be contacted through the RNYTalk.com PM system about becoming a spotlighted member. Heartwarming Support! The recent conversations in the member spotlight forum are wonderful reminders of why we are here. We are here to make sure that our own personal stories are success stories, and to provide support for others. Our community is so amazingly warm and welcoming, and each of you helps make that possible. RNYTalk.com Bypass Challenge! Highlights from the Last Challenge and a New Challenge to Try! Each RNY Newsletter, we’ll give you a new challenge. You can always find the latest news about the current challenge and check out the old ones in the Challenge Forum. The Challenge is a non-competitive way to push yourself to try something new or unusual. We encourage you to let everyone know how you did on the Challenge by posting in the Challenge Forum. Roundup of the Previous Bypass Challenge: Try a New Food! In the last newsletter, we suggested trying a new food or recipe that was healthy and a good fit for your meal plan. You can check out member contributions in the Bypass Challenge Forum. How did you do? Let everyone know about your new food or recipe in the forum! Don’t forget that you can always go back to try the old Bypass challenges and post your experience. Going public is a great way to motivate yourself, and other members can learn from your experiences! The New Challenge: Share Your NSV! Okay, first of all, what does NSV mean? It’s short for a Non Scale Victory, and it’s just what it sounds like. It’s a victory related to your bypass journey but not related to the number on the scale. We all have disappointing weigh-ins at some point, but it’s not all about the weight. The journey is about getting healthy, loving life and having new, positive experiences. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in the number on the scale that we forget to celebrate the other victories that are just as important. This Newsletter’s challenge is to recognize a new NSV and write about it in the Challenge Forum. An NSV can be anything that makes you realize what positive steps you’ve taken for yourself. Some possible NSV’s that you recognize might be: Going to a baseball game and fitting into the seat. Buying your new summer swimsuit in a regular store. Keeping your cool while you eat a meal with your hypercritical mother-in-law. Don’t be shy about sharing your NSV on the Challenge Forum. You can help other Bypassers learn to recognize their own NSVs and take pride in them! So that’s about it for this week’s newsletter, but there’s never a dull moment at RNYTalk.com! Come by and post often, and be sure to share your opinions, advice and feedback. See you on the boards! Sincerely, Alex ==============================================================If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, you may unsubscribe by going to your Control Panel and clicking on the Newsletters tab, or clicking on the following link: http://www.rnytalk.c...&tab=newsletter

I've had huge NSVs the past 3 months (no longer pre-diabetic, 104/64 BP, great labs, fitting into my husbands jeans!), but today is all about celebrating numbers. Some FAQs before the numbers... I track everything weekly on Thursday (my surgery day) including weight and all measurements. I also weigh on Monday to get an overall feel for how I'm doing that week to see if I need to have a few strict days. For me, I tend to obsess and think more about food if I'm tracking, so I don't track what I'm eating. I estimate my Protein amounts and drink at least 60 ounces of Fluid (at least 40 ou water) I do follow a plan of eating that has worked for me though. I eat from a selection of meals for all 3 meals of the day. If I have a higher % carb meal (like oatmeal), I balance it with higher % protein meal for the other 2. I eat 1 or 2 Snacks per day. If I'm losing slower I add a Protein shake (weird to add when weight loss slows, but it's worked for me) and another cup of Water or a smooth move tea at night (sometimes I'm just full of s&%#... literally . I choose from the following meals: cottage cheese, Colby-jack cheese snack and 4 multigrain crackers, Premier Protein shake, advantagEDGE shake, oatmeal (3/4 McD's or Chickfla usually), chicken Soup, chili, shrimp, Greek yogurt. My favorite meal out is at Tijuana Flats. I order one chicken taco and I eat the stuff inside the shell. I have a piece of cheese pizza once a month. I eat out with family and friends regularly. My favorite things to order are soup or a salad with chicken on it. I usually eat some of the chicken and a little bit of the other ingredients and share the rest with my husband. I think because I look at this as my new way of life, I don't feel deprived. I always felt like a failure on diets before, but haven't had that feeling since I started. Here are the numbers: Height: 5'11" HW: 273 Pre surgery diet W: 265 (1/3/13) SW: 255 (1/17/13) S BMI: 38 (Drumroll please!) CW: 215 C BMI: 30 (1 pound more to get out of obese category!) Loss since PreDiet: 50 pounds! Gone forever, never to return! Woohoo! Measurements (pre-surgery diet/now) Neck: 15.75 / 14 Waist: 43 / 36.5 Hips: 51.5 / 44.25 Arms: 18 / 14.25 Breast: 49 / 44 Ribs: 40.5 / 37.5 Thigh: 30.75 / 25 Calf: 19 / 16 Clothing size before: 20-22, 2x Clothing size now: 16W, XL Exercise: I started couch to 5k (I use Run 5K by Louis Kwok on iPhone) about 4 weeks ago. I run 3 times a week, but usually walk for about 15 min after, for a total of 45 min. Because I have felt so good, I've skipped a few days, so I'm on week 6 day 2. I sign up for 5Ks to keep me on a steady program of exercise. I'm thinking about starting crossfit when it gets too hot to run outside (I live in Florida and it's 85 even at 6am in the summer). My right knee is pretty bad (2 surgeries plus arthritis and chondromalacia), but Orthovisc injections in February really helped as well as taking Krill Oil /hylauric acid (Costco) every day.

Pre-op, I was dealing with elevated liver enzymes and pre-diabetic. Based on some labs I had yesterday, all blood levels are normal including the panel for checking the liver enzymes. It must be the clean diet I have been on for 3 months.

Well done buchannon, a great nsv and sv! and you're past the half way marker... keep up the good work!! =]

Love it! Congrats on your NSV! Very funny scene you set, there, B-52. Karen

Thanks ladies.... And, best of me: I did not take any pictures since my digital camera's battery is dead, BUT there were tons of camera's clicking at the reception and I plan on finding someone who might have taken my picture.....WOW, that's another NSV....wanting to find a picture taken of me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

@@Yasman non sleeve victory???? ie being able to buy regular sized clothes as opposed to Plus sizes not having to wear a seat belt extender on an airplane wearing your first bathing suit easier to run around/chase after kids enjoy all your NSV's to follow 35 lb weight loss!! party dance party dance kathy congrats

congratulations, excellent flexibility you go girl! And... what does NSV stand for?

So today, I'm in mandatory benefits meeting.. and I find out that my job is changing health insurance providers.. Well, I'm looking through the paperwork and I see that the plan that's comparable to my current insurance has an exclusion for any type of bariatric surgery!!! Well, let's just say that I started smiling and Thanking God that I had my surgery in Dec!!!.... I'm so glad I decided not to wait until this summer... Also, I had a birthday dinner Saturday night and my sister thought my plate as my 2 year old niece's plate!! LOL... That made me smile!!!

Congrats! Quite the NSV.

I just got back from a week in Disney World. For the past few years, I've had to rent a scooter to be able to get around the parks. It was a real lifesaver, but a hassle...getting it on the buses, etc. But now I'm 50 pounds lighter because of my lap band surgery. And this trip...I WALKED ALL AROUND DISNEY! Sorry for the "yelling", but I am just so darn excited. It was such a great feeling to be healthy enough to walk. In fact, my son told me to "slow down" at one point. I did rent a scooter on one day. It was rainy, and my left ankle (which I smashed a few years ago) felt painful. But the rental was not because I was too heavy to walk, so I'm okay with that. And even with the bad ankle I was able to park the scooter and walk around the countries and the pavilions at Epcot, instead of having to stay in my chair. This has to be one of my favorite NSVs!

So I make it thru the xray machine and stand on the mat where they pat you down. The TSA agent kept asking me what I had in my front pocket while jabbing me with her finger. I replied...."That would be my hip bone!" The lady standing next to me on her mat busted out laughing!!!!!!