Banded July 19? Two-Weeks Out Today!

[Klisa 0]

OMG - Isa, you are a CONCRETE woman! Tough stuff! There's no way I would have kept on in that marathon if I was in tons of pain!

2beskinny - you think the gym is an awesome perk? The best perk is that I work from home full time! I've gotten spoiled. Normally folks who are a good distance from an office WFH, but in all honesty, it would only be a 30 min commute for me...I love working from home. I need to just make sure I take care of my job as much as possible! It would be no fun to enter the real world again right now! :party:

I'm wondering how much loose skin I will have too...I guess that partially depends on how quickly we lose? I don't think I'll lose quickly...never have...There have been too many times where I have busted my butt at the gym for 2 hrs a day 5-6 days a week and avoided all sort of fun foods only to lose 10 lbs in 4-6 months. Ppphhhttt!! I was really strong though!

[rcain03@hotmail.com 1]

Yall are awesome! The only time I have ever ran is when I seen a spider, snake, or someone was chasing me! LOL...My name is Rachel and I had my surgery July 8th. I was down 12 lbs at my two week post op check up. I go for my first fill Aug. 19th. I can't wait...I have done pretty well tracking my calories and exercise on www.livestrong.com It is a great tool to use! It has helped me tremendously! I weighed 316 lbs. the day they scheduled my surgery. I don't know how I managed to get myself there..but, I sure know I'm not ever going to be there again! I have alot to lose in pounds and even more to lose if I don't get these pounds off of me! I am 35 and in the last year five years I have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, insulin resistance/type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis, and degenerative disk disease for which I have had to have surgery for! I definitely want to get healthier for me and for my kids! I want to be around for them! Who knows...maybe when I knock this weight off...I might just join yall in that marathon! But, for now...I'm going to stick to my walking, elliptical, and weight circuit. =) Good luck on everyone's journey to a healthier life!

[Isa Bella 0]

Klisa~ I would say more like the stubborness kicked in. It was the first year where one could put their names on their bib but I hated it expecially cuz I was in so much pain. I walked with a towel over my head cuz I did not want to deal with anything. People would be chanting your name and cheering you on & I regreted putting my name on my bib.

Rachael~Congrats! on begining your journey. Im going to check out Livestrong.com site. I too have degenrative disk desease. I had back surgery in 1996 & 2005, cervical diskectomy wth fusion in '96,'98 & 2000. I gained my most weight right b4 my 1st surgery. I was in pain for about 7yrs and almost ended quadropalegic. Thats when I finally decided to have surgery and told myself If I come out walking I will train for a marathon. I lost 100lbs on Lindora. 50 b4 surgery & the rest after. I fractured my neck in 2000(fell in my drive way) I dont have 1 good vertebrae in my back cuz I was born with arthrities in my back. I kept the weight off for about 10 years then life surprised me once again. I was diagnosed with incurable cancer. I also have fibromyalgia & in constant pain. I went thru an emotional rollercoaster dealing with the cancer in term of diet. EAT high alkalein(fruits and veggies) no sugar. I went from eating extremely healty organic and everything raw then I broke down physically & emotionaly. With all the steroids and stress I gained 80 lbs and even though I ate healthy and exercised I kept gaining. I realized it was healthy but not balanced. I ate hardly any Protein so I was only burning off the carbs I was eating and not the stored fat. I guess What I want to say with all this is your health can & will get better as your weight drops. As your weight drops you will become a more active & you will be amazed how good you feel and how much you can accomplish. Lets keep each other posted on our journeys. Love this site cuz I have met so many amazing and insppring people. Enjoy your journey

[rcain03@hotmail.com 1]

@Isa Bella...I totally understand how you feel with the exception of the cancer. I too, was diagnosed with fibromyalgia along with all the other stuff. My rheumatologist suspected I had cancer due to an extremely high SED rate I maintained and sent me for a whole body bone scan. During that, they found that I had hyperostosis frontalis interna..which is a thickening of the frontal bones of the skull..a sort of dysplasia..treatment consists of radiation, shunting, or (a wait and see) approach. I chose the wait and see approach..lol. The radiology tech freaked when I went through the machine because my head lit up like a christmas tree...lol...they have told me it is a rare condition that they do not see often...better known as Morgagni's Syndrome. Luckily, other than the obesity, diabetes, and headaches..I have not experienced any of the other bad symptoms of the disease. (crossing my fingers) As far as my back goes...I had microdiscectomy on my L4-L5 in 2005...the surgery did well for me for about 2 yrs. then I was referred to a pain center where I have had a total of 8 lumbar, caudal, sacro illiac joint, steroid epidural injections. My doctor also put me on this wonderful (not) drug called Elavil (amitryptilline) in a matter of months I packed on nearly 100 lbs. All I could do was cry. My hair was falling out after a stay in the hospital with diverticulitis and I felt like I was dying. I did good to get up out of the bed in the morning...most times I did not. I recently found out that the DDD has now traveled up to my C5-C6 where I now have bulging discs. I pray they hold out! Hence, why I am here today! I knew if I didn't do something...I was going to die! Since my WLS...I have stopped taking ALL of my medication..blood pressure, metformin, pain meds, stomach and colon meds! I feel better today than I have in 10 yrs! I exercise everyday, take a multi Vitamin, and try to make healthier choices when eating. I look forward to my fill on the 19th to get that "extra" help. Believe it or not...my back has only hurt maybe two days since July 8th and it was only "sore"...and those were days I didn't really get moving! I feel stronger and healthier already and have lost at least 12 lbs. that I know of...I only weigh at my doctor's appointments...helps keep me from obsessing! I wish you all the health and luck in the world with your journey! And the way I see it is this...I would rather die "trying" than live not "trying" at all. If anyone of you are on facebook...feel free to add me on there and I would be happy to stay in touch! Good luck everyone and keep up the healthy living! :party:

[Isa Bella 0]

Rachel~I also had my share of a variety of epidurals which were sooooo painful but they did not help me. I am very fortunate not to have any symptoms due to the cancer. Its a slow growing cancer(Follicular Non-Hodgkns Lymphoma) & most people live a full & healthy life with it. Thats why I agreed wth my team of Dr's to "Watch & Wait" I go get my yearly scan next week at City of Hope but feeling very positive. I was telling my friend that I feel soooo good. I am about 95% pain free. Im down to 1 pill at night but soon will no longer need it. Glad were going on this journey together & I know our fututre is getting healther & soon we will be pain free. The best of luck and lets keep each other posted. Blessings:)

[rcain03@hotmail.com 1]

I am definitely beginning to think that when it comes to doctors and meds..."less is more". I will keep you in my prayers for next weeks scan. Keep me posted on how it goes! Ttyl!

[Isa Bella 0]

I am definitely beginning to think that when it comes to doctors and meds..."less is more". I will keep you in my prayers for next weeks scan. Keep me posted on how it goes! Ttyl!

I agree with you 100 %. Thanks for the prayers, I will keep you posted. Have a beautiful weekend :party:

[2beskinny 4]

Isa - please let us know how your scan goes. You seem like such an incredibly optimistic person! You are already an inspiration :party: Best thoughts going out to you!

My friend asked me about doing a triathlon (of sorts) in October. Run 6 miles, Bike 18 miles & canoe ? miles. I think it would be so fun, but I don't think I can get myself in shape fast enough. I'm not even cleared for heavy exercise until Aug 16. I would say that I could probably run about 2 miles right now and it would BE HARD. What do you think...do you think I could get there? I really wasn't planning on beginning to run again until I hit onederland (which will hopefuly be sometime in October by my estimation). I'm sure I could get there faster by training that much, but I just feel too big to do all that outdoor exercise yet! My plan has been to stick to walking and elliptical and weights until I get a little smaller. I guess I need to get over my pride and just get out there and run my ass off ... literally :smile2: I watched an episode of the biggest loser where a group of them ran a 1/2 marathon together...one girl weight somethine like 250 pounds at the time and she ran 12.1 miles! I thought she was amazing!

[Isa Bella 0]

Isa - please let us know how your scan goes. You seem like such an incredibly optimistic person! You are already an inspiration :thumbup: Best thoughts going out to you!

My friend asked me about doing a triathlon (of sorts) in October. Run 6 miles, Bike 18 miles & canoe ? miles. I think it would be so fun, but I don't think I can get myself in shape fast enough. I'm not even cleared for heavy exercise until Aug 16. I would say that I could probably run about 2 miles right now and it would BE HARD. What do you think...do you think I could get there? I really wasn't planning on beginning to run again until I hit onederland (which will hopefuly be sometime in October by my estimation). I'm sure I could get there faster by training that much, but I just feel too big to do all that outdoor exercise yet! My plan has been to stick to walking and elliptical and weights until I get a little smaller. I guess I need to get over my pride and just get out there and run my ass off ... literally :thumbup: I watched an episode of the biggest loser where a group of them ran a 1/2 marathon together...one girl weight somethine like 250 pounds at the time and she ran 12.1 miles! I thought she was amazing!

Hi! I will status everyone on my test results. I normally get the results same day. C.T. scans/lab @ 9:30am & Dr flup at 1:00.

As for the Triathlon....Girl, I say Go for it! :thumbup: Its about building up your endurance. I would still take it easy till you get cleared for weights but you can start building your endurance on the treadmill/elyptical but remember you need to train outside also. Walking & running on pavement uses totally different muscles. Triathlon is on my "To do" list. Im going to chk and see if their are any in my area. It is a great goal. Even if you dont finish think of all the great exercise & calories you burned. We need to push ourselfs a little harder to see how much we can actually do. You will surprise yourself. Its a win/win situation. I dusted off my WII FIT & did step aerobics for 35 min & marching band :w00t:LOL!! & my thighs were burning. Do you know when we can cycle? I started swimming last week but did not ask the Dr about cycling. Take care

[2beskinny 4]

I'm not sure about the cycling...My doc just said light cardio at 2 weeks, so I think if you take it easy and don't go "all out" you would be fine. I did the elliptical today and at first did not put any resistance on (I usually have it at an 8)...well I actually was bouncing too much, so I turned up the resistance and just went a little slower and it felt good. I'm going to call his office tomorrow and ask if I can play golf on Friday. He already told me 4 weeks for golf, but I'm going to see if I can move it up a bit .

Rcain - congratulations to you on your great attitude and accomplishments! Just think how great you will feel when you lose even more weight! I wish I would have done this earlier in my life - I'm 46 and have been consumed by my weight since my 20's. I can't imagine living free from this obsession. It was my biggest motivator for getting the surgery. I was so tired of all the real estate my weight was taking up in my brain - ya know what I mean? I heard a staff person in my doc's office talk about how she used to think about nothing but food and now she never even thinks about it anymore....I heard that and knew it was the right choice for me. I am fortunate that I have not had health issues related to my weight. I've always been a pretty good exercisor (even @ 230!) so I think that has helped my overall health (blood pressure, blood sugar, especially - both run in my family).

We are all on the right path now - let's keep motivating each other to stay there!

:thumbup::thumbup:

Edited August 10, 2010 by 2beskinny
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[stefaniwg 172]

God bless you guys! You have been thru so much and really make me appreciate the fact that other than being very much over weight I haven't had any true health problems. I have been banded for almost 3 weeks and I feel great. I didn't have much energy for my 4 year old daughter prior to having WLS and even though I am only down 16 lbs I can't remember when I've felt so awesome! I was thin my whole life until about 7 or 8 years ago I gained a little here alot there and before I knew it I was well... fat. I knew I had to do something when I got on the scale and I weighed more than I did when I was 9 months pregnant. Not a good feeling. My confidence was in the crapper. I LOVE to shop but everytime I would buy clothes I would have to take them back because they didn't fit. I was spinning into depression. Then I would eat, and eat some more. My husband and I love to eat out on the weekends, which has been a challenge thus far but I have just been ordering Soup instead of burgers and Pasta.< /p>

I worry about not getting to my goal but I have been exercising not every day but at least 5 times a week for an hour on the treadmill doing about 3 miles and though I have not seen the numbers I would like on the scale, I measure my self every Saturday and have really seen those numbers go down! I would love to do another marathon. I did a 5k back in 2006 (Race for the cure) and didn't do so well due to the fact that I didn't train much. I did it with some of my friends who had also lost a loved one to breast cancer(I lost my grandmother back in 2003 to BC) and it became very emotional for all of us towards the end which made it even more diffcult to finish. (Crying/tired and in pain...not a good combo)lol.

I am so happy to have this website. To be able to communicate with those who are going through the same things that I am, that is truly a blessing. Lets keep in touch and good luck to everyone!

[Klisa 0]

Wow, Isa Bella...You are an amazing woman...One of my best friends and also my little sister suffer from Lupus in a bad way. They've been through absolute hell with it...I applaud you for somehow managing to have a beautiful outlook in spite of your cancer, fibro, etc. You're amazing. I'm glad that I've learned what I have about you.

[Isa Bella 0]

Good Morning to all you beautiful ladies. Im so greatful for this forum. I did do alot of reasearch on my own & thought I was pretty well informed but until I came on this site & you hear what someone who has actually been banded goes thru, the ups and downs & read their amazing journeys has made a difference each and everyday. Im inspired, Enlightened and so very touched. Ive lost weight b4 & kept if off for awhile only to gain it all back again.This time it has been more emotional. I feel like Im facing my true feelings & association with food. Getting to dig really deep & really see what this relationship with food is all about is quite scary at time. Even though I have discussed my weight issues with my psychologist (who I see 3x/wk) I have been in a sort of denial & know having to face them head on although scary Im hoping that I truly learn & can benefit lifelong from this journey. Like any addiction I know I will need to take it day by day for the rest of my life. I thank you all for your honesty,understanding and support. Together we will get thru this journey. We will shine even brighter than when we started.

[Isa Bella 0]

Hello everyone! Had my C.T.scans & lab work yesterday & soooooooo very happy to say all test results were very good. No new tumors & existing tumors have remained stable for 5 years now. White blood cells count very good. I have to tell you that the prep which I had to start the day b4 was quite difficult. Having to drink the 8oz Barium (YUCK!) every hour for the last 4 hours b4 the test was a task. Its nasty tasting even though they give you "Berry" flavor & you all know how nasty it is. Was not quite sure if I was going to be able to keep it down. I kept telling myslf I had to cuz I was not about to reschedule & next time might be even more difficult cuz I wld have had my 1st fill. Whew...anyway got thru it and just so very happy to share my good news with all of you. I got to see the band in the CT films. Was quite interesting. My Dr's were happy about my decision to get the band. I had discussed this with them a year ago when I 1st started to look into it so I had their ok. Thanks again for all your words or encouragement & support. Blessings to all.

[2beskinny 4]

Hello everyone! Had my C.T.scans & lab work yesterday & soooooooo very happy to say all test results were very good. No new tumors & existing tumors have remained stable for 5 years now. White blood cells count very good. I have to tell you that the prep which I had to start the day b4 was quite difficult. Having to drink the 8oz Barium (YUCK!) every hour for the last 4 hours b4 the test was a task. Its nasty tasting even though they give you "Berry" flavor & you all know how nasty it is. Was not quite sure if I was going to be able to keep it down. I kept telling myslf I had to cuz I was not about to reschedule & next time might be even more difficult cuz I wld have had my 1st fill. Whew...anyway got thru it and just so very happy to share my good news with all of you. I got to see the band in the CT films. Was quite interesting. My Dr's were happy about my decision to get the band. I had discussed this with them a year ago when I 1st started to look into it so I had their ok. Thanks again for all your words or encouragement & support. Blessings to all.

Yay, Isa!!! Know you are feeling good about that news! Congrats...so happy for you. I get my first fill on Monday and can't wait to see what the little bugger looks like on x-ray:lol:. Again, great news!