Getting to Know You

[vsaun123 22]

EastEndMTBr,

This is awsome! Another horse person getting banded the same month as me! I have a Quarter horse Paint (Double registered) gelding and a Quarter Horse mare. She's my fave. My DH has a Tenessee Walker that he rides when I go on the trails. I mostly trail ride now, and I hope to hit them hard this summer when I can get on Katie without the saddle slipping. She's always been a trooper, but she's small, and I'm sure she'd be grateful if I'd lose 100 pounds!

I've always ridden western. I used to barrel race back in the day, and I've done some team penning. I'd be happy if all I can do is get on by myself, but in the back of my mind I'm thinking that I'd like to get thin enough to do some of the speed stuff again.

Lets keep in touch!

I love Quarter horses too! My first was a giant Halter horse from the Impressive line... lets just say he was real good at standing and not so good at goin'! I called him Chunk. ha! I always wanted to do barrels, but out here everyone is into the hunter/jumper world and polo. I love trail riding and found that mountain biking on the trails here was a good substitute when I was horseless.

I'm definitely look forward to riding again!

4 days to surgery...yikes~

[MMichelle 2]

Hello all! I am a 42 year old mother of three. I live in San Antonio TX. I just found out yesterday that I am being banded on April 15th! I am so excited!!! I just started my pre op diet today. I have no energy at all. I feel like curling up on the couch and falling a sleep.

My hubby's is so thoughtful. (not). He envited some friends out to dinner tonight. I get to go sit and watch everyone eat. Yayy. I think I will die! Lol. Tomorrow is my company's annual family picnic. I would skip it except I am the one that is in charge of the whole darn thing. I will keep my fingers out of the dip I promise!

I am trying to look at this experience as a positive one and not complain to those around me. They didn't make me fat. I did. I am so glad to have the opportunity to be banded that I think it will make all of the uncomfort of today worth every second!

It has been interesting to read what the different diets that the doctors put people on. I am on 4 to 5 Protein shakes per day.

I hope to make so e friends here who are going through the same thing.

Have a blessed evening!!

[Spot 20]

Hello all! I am a 42 year old mother of three. I live in San Antonio TX. I just found out yesterday that I am being banded on April 15th! I am so excited!!

That's awesome! Yay for not having to wait forever for the day to come! Good luck with the picnic and stay upstream from the BBQ smoke!

[Musarion 1]

Hi Everyone,

I'm Angela, I just turned 40 and I'm the mom of an amazing 4.5 year-old. I've been considering the lapband for about four years, but wanted to have another child before doing so. Well....that did not happen (probably b/c of my weight), and I'm also recently single, so I figured it's now or never.

I'm getting banded at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles with Dr. Burch on April 21st. I managed not to lose any weight on my 6-month supervised diet, which yet reinforces why I need the band. I've been heavy all my life and while I've managed to lose 40+ pounds on several occasions, I always gain it back. I really want to do it this time and not look back!

I'm also a huge horse lover and I had horses growing up in FL (Quarter/Arab). I took riding lessons a few years ago to get back into it until one of the directors of the riding school came up to me and told me she thought my weight was jeopardizing the horses. She told me I needed to stop my lessons and gave me a refund. I was mortified. (And about 220 at the time.) Even though that was years ago, it still stings.

I'm also looking forward to crossing my legs, not having to worry if I'll fit into tiny seats, being able to wear knee high boots and buying clothes I like - not just what I can fit into! I'm an attorney and trying to find "plus size" suits that are not absolutely unattractive is almost impossible. More than anything, I want to make sure I'm here for my daughter and be a good role model for her. I also don't want to miss out on stuff (pool parties come to mind!) because I'm too self conscious to wear a bathing suit.

So, nice to "meet" all of you!

Angela

[brenda62 47]

Hello all!

I am 41, married with 2 grown kids and 3 grandkids that all live out of town...(husband is 15 yrs older so I inherited all the kids and grandkids!) No children of my own, but we have 2 dogs that get treated better than most humans!

I have had back problems since I was a teenager (and in shape) but that has been made worse by my weight gain over time. My breaking point to decide to do this has been pretty recent when both my back and my knees got so bad I could barely walk. It is such an embarrassment every day at work as I hobble down the hall to the ladies room, out to the parking lot, etc... I work with a bunch of fit people that work out multiple times daily, so I feel so judged most of the time. Whether they are actually judging me...who knows but that is how I feel. Some folks won't even look me in the eye anymore as they pass me in the hallway.

I live in the Houston area and I am getting banded a week from today, April 4th by Dr. Spivak. I don't have any pre-op diet to follow but I have started replacing at least 1 meal a day with a Protein shake more as a way to test out a few different brands/flavors. My husband is incredibly supportive as well as the few people I have told. I was so embarrassed that I let myself get into the position of neeeding surgery, but everyone I have told has been so supportive since it is obvious my weight is really beginning to take a toll on my body. I am having sugery on a Monday and my husband convinced me to take the entire week off so I could heal properly. Not an ideal way to spend vacation time, but I know it will be worth it in the long run!

At this 10 seconds I am not nervous about the actual procedure, but I am really scared about everything that follows. Knowing that when I wake up in the recovery room, my life will be different is hard for me to get my hands around. I am ready to make this change, but if I am to be completely honest I am scared too.

Don't get me wrong...I am excited too! I have never been a great fan of exercise, but since walking is so painful for me now I have to say I am looking forward to being able to move again. Just dropping 20-25 lbs will help in that respect. I don't think I will take being ABLE to exercise for granted again! I am tired of living in pain, having no clothes that fit, etc. I am looking forward to being able to shop somewhere other than Lane Bryant and Avenue. I have shopped there for so many years I cannot even begin to imagine what that will be like.

Anyway, that is a little about me. It's been nice reading about everyone and I am looking forward to hearing about everybody's experiences as we all go thru this in the next few weeks.

I go in on the 4th also! I am soooooo ready to get on with my life. I work on my feet all day and am ready not to be so tired at the end of the day. I have been on my lovely diet since the 26th 4 EAS protien drinks and a lean cuisine a day. let me know how it goes for you , I would love to compare notes.

Brenda

[Spot 20]

...I'm also recently single, so I figured it's now or never.

...I took riding lessons a few years ago to get back into it until one of the directors of the riding school came up to me and told me she thought my weight was jeopardizing the horses. She told me I needed to stop my lessons and gave me a refund. I was mortified. (And about 220 at the time.) Even though that was years ago, it still stings.

Despite how you may feel about being single now, just think of how neat dating will be when you're a skinny bitch, lol.

About the horse story - I'm mortified for you and mortified at myself as I'm over that weight. See, I like to be ignorant of exactly how fat I am, to only be put into shock and horror when I see a picture of myself, etc. This story was like a picture of myself just now. Yikes, I'm so glad to have finally be doing this. I, too, have considered this for a long time.

Yay for all our positive life changes coming this month!

[JoanneD 8]

Hey, how great to find a group of people who are on the journey the same time as I!

My name is Joanne. I'm 43, with a wonderfully supportive husband and the world's best 10-year-old son. I call him Munchkin (but try not to in front of his friends). I'm scheduled for surgery in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on April 26.

I have to travel for my surgery (I live in North Vancouver, BC) because the private clinics here are limited on the patients' BMI. There are no such limits in Manitoba. So my husband will be travelling to Winnipeg for three days for surgery.

I'm a regional manager for a restaurant chain. A fast food chain, no less. I have and will always have daily challenges when it comes to my work, but I have loads of colleagues who do the same job and are not overweight. I will emulate them, and bring my lunch when I visit my restaurants, or order the salad and grilled chicken breast.

I share others' frustration with fitting into tight plane seats (I fly to Northern BC and other locales every second week, at least). I've reached the point where I'm not embarassed at asking for an extender. The day I don't need one any more will be a huge milestone, and I'll be celebrating that one for sure. I'm also excited at shopping at more than one store (Penningtsons, here in Canada). The thought of having hundreds of stores to choose from makes me giddy, and greatly worries my husband. He has threatened to take my credit cards away from me once I lose enough weight to need a new wardrobe. . Oh, and I remember being able to cross my legs properly just one time, and I loved it. Can't wait to have that happen again.

Finally, I've started my pre-op diet. I'm on day 4, and today I could chew furniture I'm so hungry. But I'm dealing with it with good humour, and we're laughing about it. Whenever I look discouraged, my husband makes me a cup of tea. So my pre-op diet (2 shakes, 1 Protein bar, 2 cups of veggies) will actually be 4 weeks long. I'm told that this is one of the worst parts of the process, so I'll just get through this part without whining too much, and move on to the next step on the 26th.

So now I have to figure out how to do that weight ticker thingie, and I look forward to getting to know all of my future bandsters much better!

[Woodslass 22]

Welcome to the group Joanne! Glad you have you with us

Carlene

[Woodslass 22]

Well, surgery for me is the day after tomorrow. I've got everything in place that I could think of.

My only worry is that I have only lost 1/2 a lb for the last 3 days. I have not cheated at all, but I think I've not been as active as I was before. I've been working from home since Wednesday, but I've gone to the dr's appointment, taken the dogs back and forth to the vet, made dinner. Nothing terribly different than before, except now that I look back at it, I've been pretty sedentary.

The other thing that I suspect may be the reason is Diet Snapple and Crystal Light. I've been drinking them since I started the diet, but I have a feeling that the artificial sweetener in them may be messing with my body, making it believe I'm having sugar. I think today and tomorrow I'm going to drink Water only and see if it helps. Plus I need to start clearing out the pipes for surgery - I would rather not have to take that nasty Ducolax!

Today dh and I are going to clean out our spare bedroom and get rid of some of the junk that has accumulated in there. I think I'll take the dogs to the dog park too, throw the ball, get out into the fresh air. It's supposed to rain/snow tonight here, and get cold, so today will be the last warm day before surgery.

Have a great Sunday, everyone - our banding month is well underway!

[Spot 20]

I have to travel for my surgery (I live in North Vancouver, BC)

Hello JoanneD!

I miss Vancouver. My boys, husband and I used to go up there every couple of months when we lived an hour away from the Peach Arch boarder (we rarely went through that crossing though - too busy). We'd go to all the Value Villages we could in a day and then eat at A&W because we liked their poutine the best. Now we moved to Wisconsin, and I'm told that there's no interesting part of Canada above me now, so we haven't even even tried.

Gosh, I sure do miss playing in your neck of the woods!

[vsaun123 22]

I go in on the 4th also! I am soooooo ready to get on with my life. I work on my feet all day and am ready not to be so tired at the end of the day. I have been on my lovely diet since the 26th 4 EAS protien drinks and a lean cuisine a day. let me know how it goes for you , I would love to compare notes.

Brenda

Good luck tomorrow!

[JoanneD 8]

Well, I guess you'll just have to come and visit, then! We could visit a few VV's and then go to A&W, for a salad, not a poutine.

Cheers,

Joanne

Hello JoanneD!

I miss Vancouver. My boys, husband and I used to go up there every couple of months when we lived an hour away from the Peach Arch boarder (we rarely went through that crossing though - too busy). We'd go to all the Value Villages we could in a day and then eat at A&W because we liked their poutine the best. Now we moved to Wisconsin, and I'm told that there's no interesting part of Canada above me now, so we haven't even even tried.

Gosh, I sure do miss playing in your neck of the woods!

[MMichelle 2]

"They should give us pre-surgery shock collars to help us train better, lol. "

HA HA! My dog has a shock collar. I should put it on and give the remote to my husband! HA HA!!

[MMichelle 2]

Well I couldn't get to sleep last night. I was thinking of all of the things I would gain as I lose this extra baggage.

Feel sexy for my hubby

Take shower with hubby

Paint my toes and breathe at the same time

Walk up the stairs and not feel like I am going to pass out

Feel more graceful

Feel more feminine

Go to an office party with my hubby and not feel like the fattest person in the room

Go to the movies and not feel like I am squeezed into the seat

Fly without feeling like I am taking up more then my share of space

Wear a skirt without feeling that disgusting slimy/sticky feeling of my thighs rubbing

Not wear out the crotch of my pants from my thighs rubbing

Be the "Hot Mom"

Not duck when a camera points in my direction

Jump from rock to rock as we play at the river

Sit in an inner tube at the river and not feel like they have to rub butter on it to get me out

Be able to shop anywhere and not just Lame Giant

Not have to lick my finger to get my rings on/off

Wear a necklace without that stupid extender that always gets turned to the front

Walk down stairs without my knees groaning

Go out with my hubby because I want to not because I have to

Wear cloths because they are cute not because they cover up my belly/butt

Wear a swimsuit without a skirt attached

Clothing will take up less space in a suitcase

Shopping will be fun and not a chore

I was actually seeing the light at the end of this long tunnel I have been in. I am on day four of the pre-op diet. It has not been that hard considering the only thing that is keeping me from cheating is my willpower and my willpower is not that strong! I wouldn't have gotten this large if I had a good willpower. I guess I am just ready. I am ready to shed this skin that has been holding me back for so long!

I just wish I could be one of those people that don't like junk food. I will always have to watch what I eat from now on and that pisses me off a bit. I love junk food and I love to eat. I will just always have to remind myself that the above list will taste so much better then a cheese burger!

Have a blessed day!!

[Spot 20]

MMichelle, that's an awesome list!