February 2006 bandsters unite!!

[Jerseytammy 0]

OMG I have created MONSTERS........lol

Ok I have a question, oh I am sure y'all know me by now. I was thinking if your stomachs arent growling is being hungry just mental?

Do we wait until the tummy growls to eat, and when it doesnt is that what they call "mental hungry". See I am an emitional eater so I think I can count on one hand the times I have eaten b/c my tummy was growling. What do you guys think??

Oh and I came across this is my great search for knowledge into my food addication and thought I would share it with y'all.

Dear Kotex,

I recently noticed that the peel-off strip of my pantiliner had a bunch of

"Kotex Tips for Life" on it.

Annoying advice such as:

- Staying active during your period can relieve cramps.

- Avoiding caffeine may help reduce cramps and headaches.

- Drink 6-8 glasses of Water a day to keep you hydrated and feeling fresh.

Try Kotex blah blah blah other products

Obviously the individual behind this was someone who has never possessed a functioning set of ovaries. Go ahead and tell a menstruating woman that drinking 6-8 glasses of water will help keep her feeling fresh.

See what happens and report back. I'll wait.

While you're at it, dump out the coffee at work and remove the

chocolate from the vending machine. I garan-friggin-tee that the first

responders will be females who just ovulated.

Look, females don't need or want tips for living on feminine hygiene

products. Younger girls are already hearing "helpful" crap like that from

their elderly relatives. Veteran females have already concocted their own

recipes for survival, many containing alcohol.

Printing out crap advice while sneaking in ads for the brand that was

already purchased is just plain annoying, not to mention rude, and enough

to send a girl running to the Always brand. Mostly we'd like to forget

that we even need these products. It's not a fun time, but DO NOT try

to cheer us up by adding smiley faces or bunnies or flowery cutesy crap

to your products or the packaging.

Put the crap in a plain brown wrapper so we can throw it in our

carts discreetly and have it blend in among the chocolate and ice cream!!!

There is nothing more annoying than having a blinding pink

package announcing your uterine state to everyone in the store.

So take your tips for living and shove them right up your azz.

Ovarily Yours,

Miss PMS

[JanetC 2]

LOL, that's awesome!! And so true!!!

Before surgery, my stomach almost never growled (except for Sunday mornings in church). Now it growls all the time. And yeah, when it's not growling, I consider it to be mental hunger. And boy do I feel it!! Sometimes I give in... sometimes I win. It's a give-and-take. I'm trying to "win" with good choices, even if I'm "giving in" by eating. I haven't pulled out the frosting YET... but it's waiting for me! :ban: (And the ice cream bars are disappearing at an alarming rate!)

[Mikey 0]

Tammy - you inspired me. Here's a list for you...

The Bandster Friends & Family Ten Commandments - disobey at your peril!! :amen:

I am thy friend/spouse/child/in-law; thou shalt think before thou dost speak. :party:

Thou shalt not ask me if I am full yet. :twitch:

Thou shalt not presume to know whether I should be eating that or not. :eek:

Thou shalt not say unto me, "Wouldst thou like some broccoli to go with thine cheese? " :party:

Honor the "special" time every 28 days - lest thou be smited. :lightning: Keep the time holy with thy gifts of chocolate. :hail:

Thou shalt not steal my chocolate. Shouldst thou do so, the full and frightful might of my wrath shall rain down upon thee like the Flood of Noah! :ban:

Thou shalt bear witness to my decreasing girth. If thou dost not believe it, thou shalt keep thy mouth shut! :zip:

Thou shalt not say unto me that lap band surgery is the easy way out. When thou art able to pick me up and carry me a mile in my shoes, then thou can talk. :crutch:

My eternal soul is in thy hands. Shouldst thou get between me and my footlong sub, thy life may be in danger as I might kill thee - breaking one of the 'other' 10 Commandments. :party::faint:

Thou shalt not covet my increasingly skinny ass. :eyebrows:

A special note: If thou breakest one of these commandments, thou shalt meet my friend Mikey! :boxing:

[Ms. Vicki 0]

Mikey, you are a hoot!

[Ms. Vicki 0]

Tammy, so are you!

Keep me laughing! I need it to keep from going insane!

[skbishop78 0]

Ya'll are cracking me up....really needing that today! I love the Kotex story!!! Thats great! Chat soon!

[Jerseytammy 0]

Mikey your my hero........do you give lessons to husbands??? you might have hit the lottery!!! Oh I am printing those out and having them posted on my refrig. tonight!!!!!! I work for a printing company I think I might make them life size too :ban:

Ok I am going to post a poem I found about WLS. I hope y'all enjoy......

This is for all of you like me that are fighting the fight......

WLS Poem by Barbara Rice

So many nights, I whimpered and cried,

Thought that my prayers had all been denied.

Stuffing my feelings, ashamed of my plight,

Trying to stop, with all of my might.

Shoving in cold spaghetti, at three in the morning,

Frying shrimps by the time the daylight was dawning.

Drinking gallons of soda, my heart wildly beating,

Hating myself, 'cause I couldn't stop eating.

The monster in me would come out to play,

And as much as I begged him, he wouldn't go 'way.

Morning would come, and that is when,

The whole vicious cycle would start once again.

Tears would be streaming, I felt like a cow,

I wanted to stop, but I didn't know how.

Boarding a plane, and seeing the fear

In the eyes of the others..." Don't let her sit here!"

Walking a block, and feeling such pain,

That I went right back home to start eating again.

" Your face is so pretty! Start using your head!"

"Just eat smaller portions, " my family said.

" Put down the fork! Push back from the table!"

That's what my friends said...But I wasn't able.

" Willpower's the secret! We'll help you get through it!"

" TRY HARDER, " they urged...But I couldn’t do it.

I tried every diet to get back on track,

I'd lose weight and then just gain twice as much back!

Every morning I'd pray, " God let me be good..."

Then I'd fail once again...and no one understood.

Each new day would bring another attempt,

Each evening would bring still more self-contempt.

Filled with self-loathing, such awful remorse,

Simply unable to get back on course.

Overwhelmed with this state of awful depression,

Giving in to this dark, paralyzing obsession.

I thought to myself, " You'll always be fat.

Accept it, move on! Learn to live with that fact! "

Questioning God and wondering why,

Positive that I was destined to die.

Yet something inside me was whispering, "No..

There MUST be a way. It HAS to be so."

I felt a new person was waiting inside me,

And it was her voice, I permitted to guide me.

I knew I could no longer go on this way,

Desperate and dying, bit by bit, day by day.

So I got on my knees, and prayed for relief,

Then God sent a miracle to lessen my grief.

A way to stop eating, so crazy I thought,

Went against everything I had been taught.

This was my last option, I felt like a jerk

If this didn't do it, then NOTHING would work!

So I trusted the doctors, wholly and blindly,

And my God smiled down, completely and kindly.

An unorthodox treatment, but working so well,

To help lift me OUT of this ongoing hell.

A surgical wonder, that acts as a tool

To battle the fat, which has made life so cruel.

So as scared as I was, I knew I'd get through it...

Since I was so much more afraid not to do it.

And it went very smoothly, and I'm convinced that

That pain was less than the pain of this fat.

Nothing could hurt more than being this size,

While seeing the pity in everyone's eyes.

That part of my life is over and done,

But I'll never forget the place I come from.

I'll always be grateful, I'll always be driven

To bestow upon others the support I've been given.

The obsession has lifted, I'm whole and I'm free,

God and my surgeon gave my life back to me.

I've learned to eat slowly, I've learned how to chew

Enjoying my food, as normal folks do.

I eat when I'm hungry, I stop when I'm not,

Being fat, in this life, will not be my lot.

I eat not for sport, but just to survive,

My whole life is changing...I'm glad I'm alive!

I will reach the goal that I'm aiming toward,

I've truly been blessed...Thank You, Dear Lord.

The peace that I feel is calming and true,

And for those who still suffer...I wish it for you.

[Mikey 0]

Great poem! And I'm certainly available for lessons... Sign up now for The Great Hubby Boot Camp (void where prohibited)!

[skbishop78 0]

Great poem Tammy....so much is so familiar!

[Happy2 0]

Feb. Banders List

Pat aka Happy2

Banded Feb. 28

Dr. Scott Steinberg-Atlanta

Feb. 28/06-Wt. 288

April 4/06-Wt. 268

Loss to date-20 lbs.

First Fill-April 10/06-Can't wait

[Rockman 0]

I was banded on February 16th at St. Anthony's Hospital in oklahoma City, OK by Dr. Svein Holsaeter.

Although my progress has been good I have been very disappointed by the quality of post operative care. After the surgery the inability of my GI track to hold liquids resulted in serious dehydration, despite drinking 8 to 10 glasses of Water per day. I finally went to another physician and the labwork showed significant renal inefficiency. Fortunately no permanent damage was done. Afterwards I had an emergency room visit as my BP catapulted to before unseen levels. The result of being told to eliminate BP medications. It has since come under control and i am taking 1/2 of my prebanding medications.

The moral - this is real surgery and requires significant folllowup. I would recommend to any considering banding to get to a weight loss center that combines the surgery with nutritional guidance and post surgery followup.

No fills to date.

pre op: 318

op date: 302 (-16lbs.)

current: 318/267/180

Loss to date: -51lbs.

[SherryW 4]

Tammy - Thank you for sharing that poem. Man it's exactly how I've felt for a long time. I am truly thankful for my band and I'll be even more thankful when I get my first fill on 4/12.

Janet & Mikey - Thank you very much for the inspiration and kind words always. You folks definately shine a light on ones soul. I think it's great! Isn't it great to have each other to help when one is down or to Celebrate when something good happens? My hubby is the same way although he's not banded. He's been so supportive and helpful through this whole process. Including understanding his wife being in LBT so much hahaha. He cooks me a one egg omelet every morning and makes sure I take Water to work and my Vitamin. He asks me what I want him to make me for dinner :ban: I'm a very lucky gal. Congratulations to you two for supporting each other so much :party:

Everyone else.....You're all doing so well. You've all helped each other in one way or another. I think it's great! I'm here to support you as well. This is a great group of folks and I"m so happy to be part of it. Hope you're all doing well and shrinking :party:

Hugs

[Kathybirdseye 0]

hi ! Banded Feb 14th In Sacramento Ca. By Dr. Laura Machado At San Juan Mercy Hospital. Starting Wt. 245, Current Wt 218. This Is A Slow Process And Definitely You Have To Work At It, But Well Worth It. You Must Eat Right And Exercise ! I Had My First Fill On March 21 St. It Has Helped Alot...not Nearly As Hungry ! I Had A 1 Cc Fill. I Have A 4 Cc Band. I Will Return For Another Fill In 3 Weeks.

good Luck To All !

kathy

[JanetC 2]

Today's a beautiful day! I just read the boot-camp thread, so "drink your Water, eat your Protein, and move that body!!" I think I'm gonna sign up for it. :huggie:

Welcome Pat & Rockman & Kathy!! We're glad to have you on the road with us!

Thanks for that poem, Tammy! I posted it on my blog... and cried the entire time I read it to Mikey, lol. I can't wait to Celebrate when the obsession is really gone for me!

Sherry: Thanks so much for your words! Yeah, having Mikey going through this with me helps SO much! I really couldn't do it without him. You're lucky to have such a supportive man!! Hug him for me!

Happy Humpday, everyone!! Halfway there! :drum:

[Xann77 0]

Tammy -- first off, you're hilarious! Been reading your posts. You should just shove the DH into the fridge and be done with it :huggie::drum: I also REALLY liked the WLS poem. It's so damn true it almost made me cry. :clap2:

Stacey -- how'd you get such a pretty signature?

Janet -- could you please update my info to show that I'm at 2.0cc's now. After 3 fills. I see that a lot of people haven't updated their cc levels and personally, I'd really like to know where everyone is at with their fills. My fill doctor is soooooooooooooo sloooooooooow with the fills that it's really frustrating (and EXPENSIVE at $175 a pop!). And she's always like "well you should be learning how to eat and shouldn't NEED to be all that restricted." ANd I'm like, "um HELLOOOOOOO, if I knew how to eat, I wouldn't be here would I?!?!?":angry :angry I mean , I do totally get her point. Yes, we all know that you need to have SELF CONTROL in order to be a good bandster, but on the other hand, why did I spend $12,000 if I don't feel anything?? I feel like every time I go to see her, she's handing out the fills like it's a drug or something?!?! I guess she claims that it's always the "younger" women who want to be really aggressive with their fills and they are the ones that always run into problems with slippage, erosion, etc.... and I certainly don't want to be one of those! But still, what is so wrong about wanting to be restricted???

That said, after 3 visits to this woman ($350, $175 and $175) I am now at 2.0cc and definitely feeling a difference. I honestly think I could stand to be a little more restricted, but I'll hang out here for a while and see what happens :)

I'm kinda proud of myself today though. I managed to drag my butt out of bed at 6:30 to go to the gym and did 30 minutes of HARD cardio!!! Woo hoo!!! I always feel SOOO much better after exercising, and yet I never want to exercise!??!?! Does this make rational sense at all?? Why oh why am I such a lazy girl~??~ Hahahah!!