Banders #7

[JustWatchMe 7,117]

Well, those of you who know the sh!tshow that has been my divorce, please send up a prayer for me this week. Waiting for Mr. Wonderful to decide if he will settle this week. If he doesn't, we won't finalize until October. I'm exhausted and broke. This has been by far the most emotionally painful experience of my life. Thank God my girls are doing well and have good support systems. My therapist told me this week I have low grade depression. YA THINK? Seriously though, I was a little dismayed to hear her say that. I've been going to tons of 12-step meetings, increased my therapy appointments to weekly, and have been eating cleanly and haven't had alcohol or any chemical in my body since last year. I guess I'm just flat worn out. And sad about my firstborn moving to Georgia. And broke. Did I mention broke? Life in limbo for over 2 years has finally taken its toll. Well, it can't last forever.

Anyway, if his lawyer knocks some sense into his head, my lawyer says we could finalize on 9/1. Everybody wants this over with except the wasband.

It's been such a rollercoaster that I'm not even getting my hopes up anymore.

JustWatchMe

[gowalking 10,790]

Well, those of you who know the sh!tshow that has been my divorce, please send up a prayer for me this week. Waiting for Mr. Wonderful to decide if he will settle this week. If he doesn't, we won't finalize until October. I'm exhausted and broke. This has been by far the most emotionally painful experience of my life. Thank God my girls are doing well and have good support systems. My therapist told me this week I have low grade depression. YA THINK? Seriously though, I was a little dismayed to hear her say that. I've been going to tons of 12-step meetings, increased my therapy appointments to weekly, and have been eating cleanly and haven't had alcohol or any chemical in my body since last year. I guess I'm just flat worn out. And sad about my firstborn moving to Georgia. And broke. Did I mention broke? Life in limbo for over 2 years has finally taken its toll. Well, it can't last forever.

Anyway, if his lawyer knocks some sense into his head, my lawyer says we could finalize on 9/1. Everybody wants this over with except the wasband.

It's been such a rollercoaster that I'm not even getting my hopes up anymore.

JustWatchMe

So hoping for an end to this. Of course you're dealing with a form of depression. How can you not? I can only presume how tiring this has all been. Thinking of you for sure.

[lisacaron 5,075]

@@JustWatchMe I have to say that your divorce has been one of the longest I have ever seen! What state do you live in again? My goodness there should be NO fault divorces Nation wide just to avoid the stress and strain! This should be deemed a health hazard! I am stressed out for you! I hope he signs these papers and falls off the planet so you never have to think about it again.

I can't believe that we are winding down on summer. I'm sad...it's gone too fast and I missed most of it. I love fall though and I am really looking forward to some pumpkin spice and everything nice for the rest of this year!! PLEEEEASE!!

[JustWatchMe 7,117]

Illinois. But he's fighting every step of the way. He openly vowed to make it take years.

JustWatchMe

[Julie norton 2,850]

He sounds vindictive. Glad you are away from his toxic control.

Deep breaths... Things will work out....eventually... Not good karma to keep stalling. Judges take note of that, I'm hoping.

Thinking of you[emoji93]. Hope you move on to the next chapter soon. And close that book...

Except for the girls... As hard as it is. Take the high road...it is much more becoming and in the end, more satisfying ( ok. Harder too)

Edited August 31, 2016 by Julie norton

[jfc193 718]

It has been quite awhile since I have checked in with the group and I thought I would give you an update. On September 7 it will be 9 years since getting the Band.

My wife has been having trouble with her band for the last few years and will be having it removed and going to a sleeve sometime with in the next 6 weeks.

My band is doing fine I have gained about 15 lbs in the last 3 months and had stop exercising so no wonder I have gained weight. Iwent back to my second Lapband doctor since the one I liked went back to teaching at the university level.

He took a look at my band using some kind of X-ray machine and I was able to see how my pouch was extended and he gave me .25 cc's of Fluid.

I have been traveling a lot so I am pretty tire but need to get back to looking at this board because it seems I gain weight if I stay away.

[JustWatchMe 7,117]

No court tomorrow. October it is. On a happier note, I saw my LapBand nurse Tuesday and my band is just fine. I'm 25 pounds lighter than when I last went there last year. Living well is the best revenge.

JustWatchMe

[kathleen1986 3]

Hello, I had a lap band done in Mexico two and a half years ago. It is a 9cc band. I was going to a local bariatric surgeon for fills. But the problem is he charges me $150 for 1/2 cc fill. I only have about three and a half cc's out of a 9 cc band. My problem is that I don't have any restriction and I actually gained all my presurgical weight. I feel like the doctor is taking advantage of me, and not allowing the band to work properly. I met someone who has 7 cc in her band and she lost more than 100 pounds. So my question for everybody, is what is the idea fill for them?

Kathleen

[kathleen1986 3]

Hello, I had a lap band done in Mexico two and a half years ago. It is a 9cc band. I was going to a local bariatric surgeon for fills. But the problem is he charges me $150 for 1/2 cc fill. I only have about three and a half cc's out of a 9 cc band. My problem is that I don't have any restriction and I actually gained all my presurgical weight. I feel like the doctor is taking advantage of me, and not allowing the band to work properly. I met someone who has 7 cc in her band and she lost more than 100 pounds. So my question for everybody, is what is the idea fill for them?

Kathleen

[gowalking 10,790]

Hello, I had a lap band done in Mexico two and a half years ago. It is a 9cc band. I was going to a local bariatric surgeon for fills. But the problem is he charges me $150 for 1/2 cc fill. I only have about three and a half cc's out of a 9 cc band. My problem is that I don't have any restriction and I actually gained all my presurgical weight. I feel like the doctor is taking advantage of me, and not allowing the band to work properly. I met someone who has 7 cc in her band and she lost more than 100 pounds. So my question for everybody, is what is the idea fill for them?

Kathleen

Everyone's 'sweet spot' is different Kathleen. I lost 150 lbs. with no fills. I'm maintaining with about 4 cc's but others have their bands filled with more Fluid or less depending on what works for them. Sounds to me like you need more fills if you are back at your pre-surgical weight. If you think you are being over charged, look around for other doctors...and see what they charge.

[JustWatchMe 7,117]

My office charges 250.00 if you don't have insurance. Way more with insurance. Go figure. Anyway, my fills were small and steady. I've been at the same level now for a year and it's my "green". Here is my fill history:

Fills

08/06/2015 0.10 eighth fill 07.90

03/31/2015 0.10 seventh fill 07.80

02/17/2015 0.10 sixth fill 07.70

12/02/2014 0.10 fifth fill 07.60

09/02/2014 0.25 fourth fill 07.50

0.25 third fill 07.25

2.50 second fill 07.00

4.50 first fill 04.50

JustWatchMe

[lisacaron 5,075]

"There is a difference between interest and COMMITMENT. When you're interested in doing something you do it only when circumstance permits. When your committed to something you ACCEPT NO EXCUSES, ONLY RESULTS."

Good Morning all!

My Bariatric surgical group has joined the challenge, and asked for all of us to join in! So here I am making the commitment! Not just to raise awareness for Obesity and all the challenges related to it, but to make a commitment to myself.

As you know, (if you have been following the thread) I have had my share of personal challenges this year, with health and family alike.

These things can leave you feeling devastated, exhausted, frustrated and depressed. Today I'm feeling like I am just about at ground zero. Starting again, waking myself up and dusting myself off. Ground zero is not such a bad place to be. It's like Spring time, where the ground is still cold and a bit hard but you can feel just those tiny bits of soil giving way to the pressure you exert as you stretch and strive to break ground and angle toward the sunshine.

It's a chance at new beginning, a re-invention, a re-birth if you will. I've had my time in my chrysalis and I'm ready to start stretching out and breaking free, and I'm going to start with this challenge.

If you would like to join, it's a National Step Challenge to raise awareness about Obesity, and if you would like to support me directly, please click on the link below!!

http://fundraise.asmbsfoundation.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.participant&participantID=18548&cmr=A38544543A16&language=en

[Bandista 7,466]

Hi there Band Friends,

Just catching up here and sending very best wishes to all. I struggle between not knowing whether being on the forum makes me feel more or less connected. That's just me, I think -- first time as part of an on-line group and probably not really a group person to begin with, but here I am wondering how people are doing and wishing for more of a community. I get invested but never quite know if that really flows in both directions.

My weight is up a bit as well. I wanted to lose 15 over the winter/spring and ended up gaining 12 instead -- so that's 25+ altogether. The last chunk (if it is the last -- who knows where I "should" be but I figure I will know when I get there) feels like unfinished business, a project that needs to be completed. On that note I started the Whole30 program on September 1st. I really did this to support a cousin and her sister who are trying to eliminate sugar and then my husband and two friends jumped on the bandwagon. It's not really a diet (which is good because I am NOT going back there) but an elimination plan. The idea is to restrict foods to determine triggers for various issues. No grains of any kind for 30 days, no dairy, legumes or sugars of any kind. Let's just say the wine and cheese party is over. I am also forgoing my arthritis medication in the name of cleaning out my liver from all those toxins -- hoping to find a food trigger for inflammation (which may be corn), but also dropping some pounds and getting on a new bandwagon for myself for the fall. The Whole30 is all about Protein, Protein, Protein so it is a good fit for what I need to be doing anyway. Of course I don't want to put anything on the regular forum because I don't believe "dieting" is a good mentality for most, at least not for me. But I'm not doing the on/off thing, just a real focus on exactly what I'm eating and when and then only choosing from protein and veggies. It's a great exercise for me to re-tune into my body and its nutritional needs.

Speaking of exercise, that part of my life has been excellent these last months of beautiful weather and walks around a local lake that I love. We've had a lot of family stuff going on with elders passing and people coming together. My own parents are still living but the elder care is a lot just now. I am privileged to be able to do it but it can be exhausting. On the other end of the spectrum our son is back to college the last couple of weeks and settling back into his routine. He is also a major protein guy and in need of extra right now, so there's a lot of great food available. Fortunately I love to cook, especially in volume, so no one is suffering in the Whole30 camp, that's for sure.

I would like to do a five-day "pouch test" (still can't really understand this term -- probably "pouch rest" is more like it) just as maintenance for my band and am thinking about the best way to go about that. Rather than juicing as I've done in the past, I think I will go with Protein shakes as I feel like I need to be a little careful of over-sugaring, which can happen easily on a juice fast. fruit is great but sugar is sugar.

I've had some professional setbacks and accompanying financial panic, but as long as I stay in the day-to-day then all is well. The whole "one door closes and another opens" is something I think about a lot these days -- the need for allowing space for the next thing to arrive. A serious ongoing sexual harassment dilemma resulted in my having to find a therapist to deal with the ramifications of that and how best to deal with necessary confrontation. That took a lot out of me but ultimately was important for my self-esteem. Knowing there were other women going through the same thing with the same guy helped me find my voice for that. I'm a consultant so it was a complicated scenario (no real workplace and no HR) but I feel proud of resolving the issue.

Here's to September and a beautiful autumn ahead! I love this time of year. Sending best wishes to all.

[JustWatchMe 7,117]

Good to hear from Lisa and Bandista.

I've noticed that my arthritis is generally better this year since I made some major f ood changes. I do get occasional (bad) flares, but they come and go pretty rapidly and are, I believe, correlating with stress. Anyway, when I'm not in a flare, I have a much better overall pain level than I did a year ago. What changed? I gave up fried f ood 9 months ago, all alcohol a year ago, and most refined carbs 9 months ago. I'm down over 20 pounds since last September. I'm not at goal but I'm slowly losing.

I really wish I could get motivated to exercise. I really hate getting sweaty. There, I've said it.

JustWatchMe

[Julie norton 2,850]

Happy to see some cyber friends posting.

Feels like fall is coming in the mornings, although occasionally smoke from the Big Sur fire drifts in with the fog.

Lately my eating has been fairly non challenging .... Thankfully.

Tourists are gone and us locals love it.[emoji93]

All is well today.