Hello Again..long time since I've been here

[skittles108 1]

He there, all my lapband friends. It's been a long time since I posted here, but I have more time on my hands now. I'm 66-years-old & my birthday is creeping up in Feb. I had lapband surgery in 06 & I've lost 100 lbs. I feel good, except for some fatigue, which I can't quite put my finger on. I'm certainly much thinner & I'm sure much healthier, & I take my vits, but I can't get past the tired. I wonder sometimes if it's depression, but I do take some meds for it. I guess I wanted to know if anyone else is feeling like this, or if you are all feeling great :rolleyes2: I really feel the need to re-connect with people my age, as I know nobody here that has had lapband surgery. I've never had a single problem, & the last fill I had was a year ago. I'm maintaining, but not losing anymore, but I'm in a size 12, & I can't ask for anymore then that.

I'm a widow, & have been for 14 years. I pretty much keep to myself, except for family, so I wanted to connect with some of you & say hi, & happy holidays to you all.

Take care, & please say hi if you have the time, & let me know how you are doing.

Skittles:smile:

Edited November 19, 2008 by skittles108

[JoannMarie 0]

He there, all my lapband friends. It's been a long time since I posted here, but I have more time on my hands now. I'm 66-years-old & my birthday is creeping up in Feb. I had lapband surgery in 06 & I've lost 100 lbs. I feel good, except for some fatigue, which I can't quite put my finger on. I'm certainly much thinner & I'm sure much healthier, & I take my vits, but I can't get past the tired. I wonder sometimes if it's depression, but I do take some meds for it. I guess I wanted to know if anyone else is feeling like this, or if you are all feeling great :rolleyes2: I really feel the need to re-connect with people my age, as I know nobody here that has had lapband surgery. I've never had a single problem, & the last fill I had was a year ago. I'm maintaining, but not losing anymore, but I'm in a size 12, & I can't ask for anymore then that.

I'm a widow, & have been for 14 years. I pretty much keep to myself, except for family, so I wanted to connect with some of you & say hi, & happy holidays to you all.

Take care, & please say hi if you have the time, & let me know how you are doing.

Skittles:smile:

Hi Skittles!

I have been coming to LBTalk since February when I started this journey. I've read your posts before - not sure which thread because I monitor and post on several. I always enjoy hearing from you because you have been so successful - you are my age - and you are so positive and supportive! I have finally reached the end of the wait and all the tests - my surgery is scheduled for Dec 4th. I alternate between peace and panic (as my cyberfriend Phyl says), but overall I am very excited to begin my new life. It is so good to hear positive experiences from another person close to my age (I'll be 67 in May). I am sorry to hear of your fatigue. Has your doctor done any blood work for you? There are several possible causes for fatigue that would show up in blood work and your problem may be easy to fix. I did discover in all my testing I have sleep apnea (also a cause of fatigue). It is mild but I use the CPAP machine like a good compliant patient. I hope weight loss will make that unnecessary in the future, but I understand the apnea may not go away since it can also be the result of being my age... They haven't yet made a band for that, have they!

I am looking forward to losing weight, being more mobile, less joint pain, a healthier body, and the ability to hike with hubby and play with the small grandchildren now being added to our family (youngest daughter is finally coming through!).

I would love to keep posting with you - I know you have a lot of success behind you and you will have good insight for me just starting this new life experience.

[skittles108 1]

Hi there, you know I had sleep apnea bad when I started this journey, & I have one of the old CPAP machines with the large Water reservoir. My hands have some arthritis, & I could no longer change it all the time by myself. My dr. felt I was ready to give it up with the weight loss, but I think maybe that isn't the case. It could very well be fatigue from not using it. I know they have a new model out that is a lot less work, but I think you have to have your old machine 5 years before they will trade it in. It does me no good, because (yuck) you have to be able to change the Water. I'll talk to my dr. again about it.

I'd love to keep in touch with you & see how you do with your surgery. I surprised myself. Except for the port area being sore (like a pulling sensation when I got up & down), I did great, & 3 days out was shopping Walmart with my daughter. I didn't push it but I managed to walk some every day, & every day it got better. I was off Lorcet in 2 days & taking Tylenol. I think the older we are, the better we seem to do to be honest. It's the best thing I've ever done for myself, because I could hardly walk anymore, & knew I was destined for a wheelchair. It was so important to me I was able to stay in my home & take care of myself, that I knew I needed to do this. It has been wondeful. I still marvel at going from a 22-24 to a 10-12, & I can shop for hours (seems like that is my cross-addiction:)

People that tell you that you can only lose 50% of your weight with the band have never really worked it, or experienced it first hand. I have a friend with RNY, & I've done better then her. I wish you the very best of luck with your surgery, & if you have any questions at all feel free to e.mail me. I think you are doing the best thing in the world for you, hubby & grandchildren.

Skittles:teeth_smile:

[JoannMarie 0]

Skittles, do some checking on that machine trade-in. I just got mine about a month ago and the Water reservoir is very easy to change. I also have arthritis in my hands, but have no problem with this reservoir. Medicare paid to rent my machine from the company for 13 months and after that it is mine. No one said anything about a trade-in or when that could take place, but if you can't use it - it should be replaced. Medicare may take care of that for you. It is scary when you think about all the bad stuff that happens with sleep apnea, and if yours is severe, you are at risk. It is time to be assertive.

I would love to hear more from you also. I feel pretty cocky about this whole thing many days. I have been on LBTalk since last spring and feel like I've heard it all. HA! That's just when something will come up and bite me in the backside! I know I will need all the support I can get, and especially from banded people who have been successful. Thank you for your help!

[skittles108 1]

Hi, I will check with my PCP again about the sleep apnea. She thought that probably since I had lost so much weight it was gone, but perhaps it isn't at all. I know I shouldn't be feeling as tired as I do. My labs are good, with the exception of my Vit. D., & that is my own fault for not keeping up on my multi-Vitamin like I should. We don't have malapsortion, but I've begun to realize just how important those Vitamins are. I felt good for so long, that I slacked off. I usually take 2 of the Centrum chewables. I will most definitely see if it's possible to trade the machine in. I hope I don't have to take another sleep test, because Medicare requests it be done in 2 parts. I have a little dog, & I so hate to leave him overnight.

I hope you are as happy with your surgery as I have been. I haven't had one single thing go wrong...knock on wood. I'd love to keep in touch with you.

Skittles:teeth_smile:

[JoannMarie 0]

Hi Skittles,

I will definitely keep in touch. I am so anxious to get this show on the road - tonight I am feeling so excited and ready to start this journey.

The people who brought my machine told me they have a way of checking my apnea with the machine I have so I don't have to have another formal study. Don't know how they do that, but I will certainly check it after I have lost much of the weight I want to lose.

Good luck with your machine. Keep me posted on your progress and I will do the same!

[skittles108 1]

Hi again, it looks like we kind of own this thread, huh? Your date is getting close, so I'd love to keep in touch with you. I'll be going to one of my daughters for Thanksgiving (going over the day before to help with the cooking), & I will spend a night or so with her. I have 5 kids, but they are all grown & out of the house, so there is just me & my dog.

That would be wonderful if I could trade in the machine & not have to go through another sleep study. I will most definitely ask at my next appt. Considering my blood work is fine, it just may be the sleep apnea, but before I knew I had it..I would wake up gasping for breath. That never happens to me anymore though.

I'll check tomorrow & see if you are around. :laugh:

Skittles

[KarenIn 2]

Hi Skittles Welcome back! And, congratualations on you great weight lost! Sounds like we have a lot in common. I am also a widow, and have been for 18 years. I also have bad arthritis in my hands, back, knees, and one ankle. I had my surgery in August and with my pre-op low carb diet I have lost 96 pounds, with at least 69 more to loss. I can hardly believe how good I feel. Sure I still have pain form the arthritis, but it is much better and a lot easier to move less of me around. Sometimes meds for depression make you tired, so you may want to check into that. Keep in touch. I find it really helps me to "chat" with others in a similiar situation.

[skittles108 1]

Hi there Karen, & yes indeed we have a lot in common. Before my surgery I was told I would need 2 new knees, & I was prepared for that when I lost some weight. Strange thing though is that they have gotten so much better. I was to a point where I couldn't shop without one of those carts you ride in, & now I walk all over the stores. I also went through a series of Synvisc injections which helped a great deal. It seems like my weight alone was a lot of my problem. I hope you continue to feel better. My hands seem to be the only thing that don't work right. I have an essential tremor for one thing, & some arthritis in them also.

I take antidepressants, but they can only do so much. They truly can't fix real life can they? I think the fatigue is probably a combination of things.

Thanks for checking in on this thread, & please keep in touch.

[PATCHELTON 0]

I don't know if anyone will see this as no one has posted here since November. I hope all is well with the new bander and is still going well with the others. I will be 64 in February, and I was banded 3/25/08. I have lost 100 lbs and gone from 2x scrubs (I work in a doctor's office) to medium tops and small pants, and in numbered sizes from women's 22 to misses 12. I am broke from buying clothes, but a happy broke. I was able to stop one BP med, two cholesterol meds, a reflux med, and will have a sleep study sometime soon to see if my apnea has resolved. I am not using the CPAP, as it never made me feel better. I also have knee arthritis and the weight loss has greatly improved how they feel. When I was heavy I tried Synvisc and it didn't help, but now I don't even take the pain med my doctor gave me. I take one BP med and both that and the pain med I can get at Walmart for $10 each for 90 days worth. Big difference! Now if I can just find a plastic surgeon who is hot to do some pro bono work . . .

Good luck on your journey and congratulations on your success.

[KarenIn 2]

Patchelton

Glad to hear from you, and congratulations on your successful weight loss. :thumbup: I have also lost over 100 lbs, and feels so much better. I hope that anyone reading this that may be considering the surgery gets some hope from on success,

[JoannMarie 0]

Wow! Some encouraging words from this thread! I saw a post from Skittles not long ago on another thread. She was still doing well. I am down 22 pounds since surgery, and very happy with that, so I'm off to a good start. I've had one fill, but do not feel any more restricted. That's okay, though, as I am satisfied on a lot less food and have been eating my measured amounts and stopping. So far that is working. Advantage is I have had no PBing or other unpleasant issues to deal with. Maybe I should just keep it this way! Probably not, as I want to keep the losses going and may become complacent about amounts of food going in. I can tend to go that direction... I'm due for another fill on Feb 6th - hope to lose another few pounds before that comes up.

I've been using the CPAP machine sporatically lately. I honestly believe I sleep better without it. It is still so uncomfortable on my face. I've tried several different delivery systems and they all drive me crazy. I always take it off sometime in my semi-sleeping state because it is laying beside me in the morning with the machine merrily running along. Somehow I don't see how that is helping the quality of my sleep!

You all are doing so well. Congratulations on your wonderful losses! I love reading the posts of successful banded people. You are all so positive - and I am a firm believer in the power of the positive in my own life. I just received the notice of my class reunion coming up this summer. I am thrilled to know that I will be going and seeing old friends - but carrying a lot less weight with me. This is just more incentive to dig in and make it work.

[skittles108 1]

Hi there, life gets in the way and I forget to check in. My grand-daughter and I share the same birthday and just celebrated together. Life has been busy. I'm also flying to NYC for a week in May and I'm really excited.

I'm glad your surgery went well and you are doing good. Congrats on the weight loss. My sleep apnea is gone. My blood work is all fine, but the dr. said "you are still 67-take a nap if you want one". I guess I don't like wasting a minute in a day, but hay maybe I need that little nap. No harm done, right?

I'm so glad everyone is doing well. Tomorrow is Valentine's Day and still a kind of tough day to get through..when does it ever get easier, or is it just me?

Love,

Skittles

[JoannMarie 0]

Hi there, life gets in the way and I forget to check in. My grand-daughter and I share the same birthday and just celebrated together. Life has been busy. I'm also flying to NYC for a week in May and I'm really excited.

I'm glad your surgery went well and you are doing good. Congrats on the weight loss. My sleep apnea is gone. My blood work is all fine, but the dr. said "you are still 67-take a nap if you want one". I guess I don't like wasting a minute in a day, but hay maybe I need that little nap. No harm done, right?

I'm so glad everyone is doing well. Tomorrow is Valentine's Day and still a kind of tough day to get through..when does it ever get easier, or is it just me?

Love,

Skittles

Good to hear from you, Skittles. I think you are entitled to that nap if you feel like it! I'll be 67 in a few months - don't often take a daytime nap yet, but I like to sit down and read in the afternoon. I'm feeling good and have pretty decent restriction after the second fill a week ago. Funny, though - both times it has been best in the first few days, then seems to ease up some. I am proving to be a sporadic loser as usual - will stay the same for a week or more, then lose a couple of pounds. I am hopeful the losses will not stall, but every time I have one of those slowdowns, I start to worry about it. It's hard to remain confident in the ultimate outcome. I don't mind the week part, but when it gets to 1 1/2 or 2 weeks I feel like I am losing ground, not losing weight! I just keep up my exercise program and am careful with my food - and try not to think about it. My doctor wants to do at least 2 more small fills in the next 6 weeks. DH and I are going to Korea to visit with our DD and SIL - and be there for the birth of their second little boy (helping to take care of the 2 year old). We're leaving in early April, and I will be gone a month. Doctor wants to make sure I have a fill about 3 weeks before I leave, then see how things are going when I return in May. She has a good plan for me - the more I get to know her the better I like her.

It's good to hear you are doing so well. Congrats!!

[skittles108 1]

I'm so glad a few of us check in here regularly. I had a dr. appt. a couple weeks ago and the dr. took out some of my fill. I knew I had been tight for awhile, but he took me down quite a bit. I am eating more then I should be, and I will be glad to go back on the 9th of March. This band is indeed fickle. I wonder if there is truly a "sweet spot" or just plain good restriction. I am going to NYC in May for a vacation. Your trip to Korea sounds like it will be fun. Is your daughter's family military. My SIL spent 2 tours over there unaccompanied. He brought me back some beautiful things, including I mink blanket that I cherish.

Check back in and let me know how you are doing. Let's keep this thread going if we can.

Skittles