I'm here to help...

[Charlene K 1]

You all are amazing women! I find your posts inspiring! I am offically a bander as of yesterday!

Surgery was a success! Up after 30 mins after surgery had to go pee. A little sore upper stomach & chest. No pain meds needed . 2 day pre-op & as a bander!

I look foward to being more active after recover on the site.

Have a great week all!

K

K, Congrats! on your banding. Walking is the best way to get rid of the gas. Follow your doctors instructions and you should be fine.

[Charlene K 1]

Good Morning! I have a cough and cold. YUK! It causes me to have a tight band and reflux so I am back on pepcid for a few days It is 26 right now......BRRR!, but this time we don't have ice.

Joyce, wow, sounds like that guy is only about the money and not the patient. Take it easy! I took Carafate years ago when I had esophagus problems......good stuff.

Cheri, Before the band I was miserable. I had herniated two disks. I had to ask for extender belt on the plane.....that was my ah ha moment. Since the band I don't need an extender belt, I haven't had to get a epidural steroid injection in my back, and instead of refusing a booth at restaurants I ask for one. I still take medications. I haven't lost all the weight I want to lose, but I am still working on it. I am a LIFESTYLE in progress. Before the band I was actually buying 4x tees. Now I buy L or 1x. I do have a few 16w jackets. My goal is not to have a W or X in my clothing.

Okay gang, I have to get ready to babysit my little one. My DD has to go to her thyroid doctor this morning.

Take Care everyone!

[ocotillo 0]

I just lost my post....had multi-quote and everything going. DANG!!

Meredith, glad you finally went to see your friend play, now it's over and you won't have to do that for a while. I so understand about needing "you" time. You do need to not let people push you into doing things you don't want to do. It's almost harder than just doing whatever they want, but it does allow you to call the shots. On the other hand, sometimes you have to do those things to maintain friendships and that is just as important. The balance between the two is the tricky thing. I learned to stop doing things I don't want to do a long time ago and I don't unless it's a matter of keeping a relationship going. If it gets to the point where that relationship is too co-dependent, I let it go. Can't do that anymore. I wish you balance....I was crazy going to school and working and traveling, and being social at your age too so I do understand.

Laura, I don't think I weighed 137 either....well maybe in Jr. High. I was 120 in 6th grade. I can't believe you didn't go get that barium swallow while you were waiting....what's wrong with you....$250 at Wal-Mart, gee what you need Shampoo and paper towels and cat litter....I can't imagine spending that much....LOL (you do know I'm being sarcastic right?)

Cheri, maybe I could try your inversion table when we visit? Had a bad night last night and haven't made the leap to purchase one yet. Don't want to buy another piece of equipment and have it taking space and not using it. I don't have a basement, which of course is an excuse. Thanks for all your posts of encouragement and information...appreciate it.

Will post more later...have to go pick up my car...it's been at the shop for a couple of days.

Eva

[1day at a time 2]

You all are amazing women! I find your posts inspiring! I am offically a bander as of yesterday!

Surgery was a success! Up after 30 mins after surgery had to go pee. A little sore upper stomach & chest. No pain meds needed . 2 day pre-op & as a bander!

I look foward to being more active after recover on the site.

Have a great week all!

K

Congrats on being banded. Walking is the best for gas as people have stated. Even if it is just walking around inside your house. Like Arlene said follow your Drs advice to a T

[IndioGirl55 32]

Good Morning Peeps

Busy last night gym - talked to my BIL - talked to Andrew - Cold Stone (where he works) got robbed an hr before his shift - then he had to work alone - It's all good - he's not afraid (well I think that he would be if someone had a gun on him) I think alot of kids will be quiting (parents making them) no one was hurt - 3 girls on duty - guy got away with $240 - How stupid to go to prision for only $200 DUMB - but I guess if you are a bad guy you don't think like I do - If I'm going to chance going to jail it would be for a whole lot more than $200.. Andrew's boss is installing panic buttons in the store & freezer (that's where the girls ended up) the store does have cameras and they are having a meeting today about this and what they should do if it happens again...

Why I was banded

June 2006 went to Mexico with 30 other pple for gf wedding anniversary - it was june and very humid - the resort where we stayed had small hills you had to climb to get around - the elevators didn't have a/c - I was freaking miserable - would have to stop and rest just going back to the room - weight at that time 240ish.

Feb 2007 when on a cruise w/sister & dh and gf Deb - she had never been on a cruise - she wanted to explore the ship - I didn't want to cuz that would mean too much walking and my feet would be killing me and I would get too pooped out - My sis room was forward - ours was aft - we always met in the middle - walking to her room was just too far - My life was so limited about what I could or couldn't do because of the extra weight - I took the elevator - parked at the closes spot - measured everything i did around how much phyiscal activity it would take - going to mall w/Andrew he would always be 5 paces ahead of me - he would have to stop and wait for me - I would drive the car if it was more than a block to walk.. I would breakout in a sweat just vacuuming the living room...

I was 18/20 in my pants - 2 x tops - weight 246 on my 1st visit to the doc 5/31/07 - gained 4 lbs by the time I had my preop on 7/6 (last supper mentallity) 250 at surgery ..

I realized that since I am a young grandma - that I do have the chance in my life time to see some great grand kids - I also wanted to be around to see my grandkids grow up... I was tired of not being able to do things

I was sad that I couldn't walk around a ship without being totally exhausted.. I was tired of my weight limiting what I could and couldn't do - I was 52 when banded and knew that I have less yrs ahead of me than what are behind me - and I didn't want to waste the years I have left not being able to live life.

Fast forward to today - I'm the Grandma who catches air!!!- I zipline - I can hike - I can get on a horse w/o assistance - I scuba dive - I parasail w/my grandkids - Andrew now ask why am I running when we are together at the mall - he has to keep up w/me - I can leg press 500 lbs - I go to bootcamp - I go to the gym period - I love that I have been working out for almost 4 yrs and haven't quit -- I love being able to do all these things and more- I having my life back - I am living my life to the fullest - I am happy happy happy and I am so sad that I wasted all those yrs of my life being fat. But as you all know - can't waste time regretting the past - I am just a very very happy person that my light bulb finally went off...

Well I gotta get back to work... cbl

[Great2BThin 5]

Oh my aching back, shoulder, wrist, neck, knee. Why you ask? Clutzy me slipped on the ice in the drive way when my friend picked me up to go McD's for our coffee/diet coke marathon chat session. I just hate having a north facing driveway and vowed I never would again (we had one when first married) but what do I have?The south facing ones across the street are dry mine is a sheet of ice. Yes we shovelled and snow blew but still that little skiff that is left turned to pure ice where the tire tracks are. I don't think I seriously injured anything, was scared about my new knees. Think I will just be sore for a few days. First a car wreck, then this.

Speaking of car wreck, what's your opinion on what I should do? I called the court today to find out my fine since I got the citation for improper lookout. The fine is $120 and a few points on my license. If I pay $25 extra I can do something called Plea in advance, the fine remains the same but the points would be taken off my license. This is my first ever citation in almost 40 yrs driving. Do I do it? or just pay it and be done with it? After all, my insurance knows I have the citation and has found me at fault and is paying for my car and the other to be fixed. So it's not like not doing the points would hide it from my insurance, etc. I just have never had any experience with this. There's no way the fine will be reduced.

Why I got banded? My knees hurt bad and I needed replacement, for those to work the best and longest I needed to be at a much lighter weight. I wanted to be healthy, I wanted to be a fun grandma, I was sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. I tried everything to lose and always ended up regaining everything I lost plus some.

KisKis, welcome, congrats on your banding, stay around and let us get to know you.

[Charlene K 1]

Oh my aching back, shoulder, wrist, neck, knee. Why you ask? Clutzy me slipped on the ice in the drive way when my friend picked me up to go McD's for our coffee/diet coke marathon chat session. I just hate having a north facing driveway and vowed I never would again (we had one when first married) but what do I have?The south facing ones across the street are dry mine is a sheet of ice. Yes we shovelled and snow blew but still that little skiff that is left turned to pure ice where the tire tracks are. I don't think I seriously injured anything, was scared about my new knees. Think I will just be sore for a few days. First a car wreck, then this.

Speaking of car wreck, what's your opinion on what I should do? I called the court today to find out my fine since I got the citation for improper lookout. The fine is $120 and a few points on my license. If I pay $25 extra I can do something called Plea in advance, the fine remains the same but the points would be taken off my license. This is my first ever citation in almost 40 yrs driving. Do I do it? or just pay it and be done with it? After all, my insurance knows I have the citation and has found me at fault and is paying for my car and the other to be fixed. So it's not like not doing the points would hide it from my insurance, etc. I just have never had any experience with this. There's no way the fine will be reduced.

Why I got banded? My knees hurt bad and I needed replacement, for those to work the best and longest I needed to be at a much lighter weight. I wanted to be healthy, I wanted to be a fun grandma, I was sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. I tried everything to lose and always ended up regaining everything I lost plus some.

KisKis, welcome, congrats on your banding, stay around and let us get to know you.

Lori, so sorry you had a fall. You will really be sore tomorrow. It doesn't hurt to take Advil as long as you don't take too much. I don't know about your car situation. We have a class you can take to keep the citation off of your driving record, but you still have to pay up for the court fees. That is where they get ya!

I am feeling better this afternoon. My grandbaby just left. She was so good. We are having another hard freeze tonight and then the weather is warming up to the high sixties. I am so ready.

Have fun in Hawaii!

[ljv52 2]

Hi all, feeling sooo much better today. Ended up not feeling very well last night - in fact went to bed around 8:45 cause I just felt horrible after work all day and then Zumba last night. I had bought some spring mix at Walmart and after Zumba and my shower discovered it had all gotten slimy (even though it was not at the "use by"date -- in fact -- supposedly good for three more days!! It was horrible -- it had a lot of Water in the container - this is the second time I've bought it and had problems so I won't be buying that any longer. The one they sell at Sam's Club is great -- lasts me more than a week. So after Zumba and my shower I had to go back out in minus 15 degree weather to buy salad fixings - I was not a happy person last night -- so never got my dinner done until around 8:00. But today is gorgeous -- sunny and now is at 26 ABOVE zero -- whoo hoo!!

My struggles are much like everyone else's. However, with one additional twist -- because I had a bad hip, I couldn't even put on socks or shoes or even shave my own legs or put lotion on my feet for about three years-- and they probably would not have done my hip replacement until/unless I lost weight first - I never went to find out, but I certainly would have been worried about having my hip replaced while weighing 250! I wore sizes 4x in tops and 3 x in bottoms - I was unccomfortable wearing real bras -- and wore sports bras instead - AND I was wearing size 54 DD. I was literally as large around as I was tall. My legs and arms were never fat I carried ALL my weight in my belly -- the worst place for my health. Between my hip and my bad back and FM, I could barely walk. We went on a vacation to a resort in Puerto Villarta that had a Water park and I couldn't walk far -- and it was not that big of a place -- my DH got a wheel chair to take me around the pool area and the restaurants -- so embarassing -- and I remember struggling to walk just from one of the pools to the other or to the river area -- and I couldn't fit on the inner tubes of course - so I just floated with my body. It was shortly after this vacation (also the first one where I needed the seatbelt extension) that I checked out lap band. Then about 3 weeks later (following vacation) I became very ill with kidney failure - another wake up call. I had already been approved for lap band by this time and because of the kidney failure, had to postpone the surgery for 7 months. So I realized during that time that I wanted to LIVE and be around to see my GD grow up. Oh my, that is horrible remembering that. I hated my picture being taken - and in looking back at them I look so miserable - I look like I'm in terrible pain (I was) and so sad and unhappy (I was). Now I exercise every day -- and can walk and walk forever -- such a great feeling!!!!! Oh, almost forgot, I also had high cholesteral and was on cholesteral meds, high blood pressure meds and had sleep apnea with a machine and within 3 months of my surgery got rid of all meds and the machine - I only take thyroid med now and my blood pressure is always fantastic -- 116 over 75 usually -- unbelieveable! Oh and the BEST news of all -- recently my surgeon told me I could skip a colonoscopy that I used to have to do every 2 years because of my weight loss!! Yippee!!!

Joyce, I'm so sorry your surgeon is the way he is -- that's what gives doctors doing this type of work a bad name -- you should defintely demand some care from him!! That's just terrible. Yes, I think you might have some good results with the 5 DPT -- it can't hurt anyway.

Well, I'd better post this before I lose it - have been working on it and working all day -- I'll CBL.

Linda

[Charlene K 1]

Oh my aching back, shoulder, wrist, neck, knee. Why you ask? Clutzy me slipped on the ice in the drive way when my friend picked me up to go McD's for our coffee/diet coke marathon chat session. I just hate having a north facing driveway and vowed I never would again (we had one when first married) but what do I have?The south facing ones across the street are dry mine is a sheet of ice. Yes we shovelled and snow blew but still that little skiff that is left turned to pure ice where the tire tracks are. I don't think I seriously injured anything, was scared about my new knees. Think I will just be sore for a few days. First a car wreck, then this.

Speaking of car wreck, what's your opinion on what I should do? I called the court today to find out my fine since I got the citation for improper lookout. The fine is $120 and a few points on my license. If I pay $25 extra I can do something called Plea in advance, the fine remains the same but the points would be taken off my license. This is my first ever citation in almost 40 yrs driving. Do I do it? or just pay it and be done with it? After all, my insurance knows I have the citation and has found me at fault and is paying for my car and the other to be fixed. So it's not like not doing the points would hide it from my insurance, etc. I just have never had any experience with this. There's no way the fine will be reduced.

Why I got banded? My knees hurt bad and I needed replacement, for those to work the best and longest I needed to be at a much lighter weight. I wanted to be healthy, I wanted to be a fun grandma, I was sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. I tried everything to lose and always ended up regaining everything I lost plus some.

KisKis, welcome, congrats on your banding, stay around and let us get to know you.

Lori, so sorry you had a fall. You will really be sore tomorrow. It doesn't hurt to take Advil as long as you don't take too much. I don't know about your car situation. We have a class you can take to keep the citation off of your driving record, but you still have to pay up for the court fees. That is where they get ya!

I am feeling better this afternoon. My grandbaby just left. She was so good. We are having another hard freeze tonight and then the weather is warming up to the high sixties. I am so ready.

Have fun in Hawaii!

[Kiskis 56]

Thanks all for your support. I am having a great 2nd post-op day. My BFF who was banded 8 yrs ago came for a visit. We hung thi afternoon like school girls. Our goal is to me down 20 lbs for our trip to Mexico in May.

Lori - sorry to hear about your fall. The soreness is always worse on the 2 & 3rd day. What island are you going to in Hawaii? I love it there we went to Kona for Christmas & Maui in Novemenber.

Linda - I hope to to get rid of my sleep Apena machine. I hate it!

Have a great evening all!

Cheers,

Kristi

Lori, so sorry you had a fall. You will really be sore tomorrow. It doesn't hurt to take Advil as long as you don't take too much. I don't know about your car situation. We have a class you can take to keep the citation off of your driving record, but you still have to pay up for the court fees. That is where they get ya!

I am feeling better this afternoon. My grandbaby just left. She was so good. We are having another hard freeze tonight and then the weather is warming up to the high sixties. I am so ready.

Have fun in Hawaii!

[ljv52 2]

Lori/Great - hugs on the fall -- I thought you were still in Denver - when do you leave for Hawaii? If you still hurt tomorrow, go get checked out to make sure everything is okay. Yes, take advil or something for the pain.

Welcome and congrats to Kiskis on being banded - hope you'll come back and get to know us a bit.

Jodi, I can't wait for the Bat Mitzvah -- it's going to be a wonderful party -- your life is very hectic - but I think all of us were at that same place when we were about your age -- kids sure keep you busy. Have fun Friday night - that guy sounds nice -- hope the chemestry works - it would be so convenient to date someone in your building -- worth checking out anyway.

Home from work/chiropractor -- will cbl. Have a good evening everyone - I too am enjoying reading all the "lapband stories" -- it's so inspiring and should help keep us grounded.

.

Linda

[ifyourstomachoffendsyou 1]

Wow! Great stories! This is exactly what we need to keep ourselves on track. Having gone to Alanon for many years and attended open AA meetings to hear special speakers and having hung out with a lot of recovering Alcoholics, a lot of their phrases stick in my head. When someone relapses they'll say, "It takes what it takes. There but for the grace of God go I." "They're not ready yet." "They haven't gotten sick and tired of being sick and tired." Many of them refer to themselves or others as "rehab rangers" because they relapsed and went to rehab so many times. A hospital in Dyer, IN had an emergency short-term rehab known as the "Dyer dryer" mostly for falling down drunks. Some of the recovering alcoholics I'd met had been there several times. Over and over again, every alcoholic who spoke was willing to tell his/her story in jaw-dropping detail and honesty. Helping other alcoholics recover was the key to their own recovery. Honesty about one's past and present is stressed to the max.

That's got to be part of our recovery, too. We have an addiction. It brought us places we never wanted to go. We didn't grow up thinking, "I want to be a morbidly obese food addict when I grow up." We are horrified to find ourselves there. And we can never forget. To do that we need to share our stories in all their embarrassing details. How about having trouble wiping your butt or getting all your parts clean? Wondering what that smell is and realizing its you? Trying to clip your toenails with your stomach hanging between your wide spread knees?

This is a serious life-threatening-shortening illness. Embarassing. Gross. Ugly. We think we only affect ourselves, but what about the children we robbed of quality time with us? The $ we spent on food that could have been spent improving the lives of our families and beyond? The employer's and insurance companies and the government (the American people) we ripped off with our inability to do our jobs to the best of our abilities and the ailments whose cost got absorbed by our families and the rest of society?

Take your bands seriously. Treat them right. Take your disease seriously. Are you ready to do whatever it takes to be "clean and sober?"

Cheri

[Great2BThin 5]

LInda, I got home from Denver yesterday and leave for Hawaii on Sunday, however, that might change to Saturday.

Arlene, I've taken Advil before with no problems.

KisKis, this time I am just going to Oahu (Honolulu) as the bulk of DH's business will be there, he'll go to Maui for the day one day but I won't be able to go with him. Bummer as I love Maui. Maybe next time.

The soreness is okay from the fall but the weirdest thing is my arm/hand is shakey, not sure what that's about. DH wants me to get it checked out tomorrow if it's not better. I also get to pick up my car tomorrow it's all repaired from my crash last week.

[Kiskis 56]

Any island in Hawaii is great at this time of the year! Have fun!

[ladykcusa 1]

Linda - thanks for your comment about my "doctor". I'm considering changing doctors when My one year paid treatment is over. Actually, not considering - the decision is made. Have already attended a seminar hosted by new doctor.

Lori - go soak up some sunshine for all of us. Enjoy and relax and recuperate from fall and accident.

Kristi - welcome - so glad to have you here with all these successful ladies.

Joyce