silry

i have 2 naughty turtles and one VERY naughty ori-pei named quincy. okay, i'm kidding - quincy is the best dog anyone could hope for!!! we rescued him and were worried a little bit because you never know what you will be dealing with, but he never barks, never potties in the house, sits for treats, lays down when i yell at him too, lets mommy and daddy sleep in on the weekend and has just the sweetest temperment EVER. the people at the rescue he was the happiest dog they had ever seen! he is just over a year old and i can't imagine what life was like before him! my biggest fear is losing him. :phanvan he is one spoiled furbaby! LOL!!! best expression EVER!!! the whole fam. big turtle = kermit the girl, lil turtle = rygel the boy. oh, and the hubby john. this is what he does best: LOL :high5:

i couldn't wait to take my husbands last name! first, my dad was a deadbeat so it just irked me to be carrying his last name. i hated it when i saw his last name on my college diploma... PLUS it was leech - man, try going through your younger years with that one! and the stupid questions... "are you related to robin" (wrong spelling!) my husbands name is pretty common and actually, his sister and i have the same first name. that weirded him out for a while... calling his wife by his sisters name. LOL. the only thing that i don't like is on his credit report, it confused his sister and i. okay. now i'm rambling!

but hey! you lost 70, gained 50... but you are still 20lbs lighter and have a new baby! you'll get back on track. good luck and *HUG*

audree! once again you rocked my world. i was just researching erosion and you posted this!!! everything is just falling in place so well. i keep getting excited-er and excited-er (i made up a new word!) i'm test running a liquid diet just for a day or so to get an idea of how miserable i'll be. LOL. me likes me food!!! if all goes well with everything, i should be banded by valentine's day!!!

i'm not banded yet and i am concerned about erosion... is there anything you can do to prevent this or is it just something that happens to some people?!

oh yes!!! bless you for telling me about that!!! as sad as it sounds, i was almost crying over the idea of no coffee. i made a pot yesterday and was just staring at my beautiful fancypants coffee maker and felt a knot in my throat. i already gave up soda and have been weaning myself off of breads... oh! you know what i just saw at the grocery store?! they have half caff half decaff coffee! typically i grind my own Beans, but i'd buy that! oh... or i could buy decaff beans and mix those with caff beans and make my own. doh! i am having a monday today for sure!!!

don't apologize! it's great you are upbeat!!! there is wayyyy too much negativity in the world! and congrats on fitting into the smaller size!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :clap2: audree: congrats to you for going back to college! that is amazing!!! you are just going to be a whole new you all over the place! :high5: as for worrying about what to say when people start noticing weight loss - just tell them you have been exercising and watching what you eat. if what i am reading is accurate, you lose at a reasonable pace with the lap band so your loss will be gradual versus massive loss right off the bat. i cannot spell before my first cup of coffee!!! (which i shall soon be missing. :think )

i have a very dear friend of mine who lost almost 100lbs the old fashion way - straight up diet and exercise. i was so excited to tell her about lap band but as i was looking at her skinny gorgeous face, i started to feel... guilty. almost like i am taking a short cut or the easy way out. even though i know i'm not and that it isn't a short cut, that i will have to work very hard, i still felt reluctant to say anything. i AM going to though. just privately... she told me the date for their wedding and my first thought was "good - that gives me plenty of time to lose weight!" anyhow, that's what is on my mind right now. off to bed!

if i had the cash RIGHT NOW, i would have made my appointment and gone. i started off curious, then i went into information overload and panicked. now i feel strong, confident and ANXIOUS as all get out!!! at night i lay in bed and fantasize about being skinny again. see, i've always been heavy. i remember when i was in the 5th grade they weighed us in front of all our peers. i weighed 125 and was MORTIFIED. i, at 12, out weighed my mom when she was 9 months pregnant with me! (she weighed 115lbs.) in high school, i went to an arts school where i didn't have to deal with a lot of the crap 'normal' high schoolers went through with popular cliques and cheerleaders, etc. so it didn't really bother me that i was so heavy... i was judged based on my talent, not my looks. but after high school is when i really started getting bummed about my weight. my best friends were all knock-outs. i was the fat friend. i let myself simmer in my misery until 2000. i was going to go to europe for a month and did not want to be fat in my pictures! i busted my rump dieting and exercising and lost 30lbs... i was 170 and felt like i looked AMAZING. but when my friend's grandmother said that maybe i wouldn't weigh so much if i didn't eat so much cake (i had ONE piece after dinner!!!) i was crushed. when i got home, i kicked off a diet exercise program like a mad woman. but i was doing it in a very unhealthy way - for breakfast i would have a cup of coffee blended with ice, for lunch i would have the same thing. for dinner i would have a bowl of cereal or a tiny piece of chicken. after a few days i would be SO HUNGRY that i would binge eat, then punish myself for a few days afterwards by eating nothing but dry cereal. i was at the gym around 2 hours 5x a week. i was exhausted all the time and my hair was falling out. but i was losing weight! i got down to 130lbs and a size 6. even though looking back i realize i was smokin' hot, all i could focus on was getting down to 100lbs - what my mom weighs. i was miserable all the time, but then i fell in love. we went out to eat all the time and i gained 25lbs in 6 months. when i got too heavy for his motorcycle we broke up. my rebound guy ended up being the love of my life and my husband! for the first time in my life i was blissfully happy... and the weight piled on. at first i didn't care. my hair was thick and beautiful, my nails were long, i wasn't exhausted all the time and i could EAT. but... then i started not being happy with my clothes not fitting and the way people would look at me... sex started being less and less in frequency. then i hit plus size again and i realized i had to do something. but i couldn't lose like i did before. i couldn't abuse my body and i also had a husband to cook for. i overhauled my entire diet... i stopped eating red meat and dairy. i only ate whole grains. blah blah blah. i even joined weight watchers. but... i lost 15lbs and nothing more. in 5 months!!! that's when i decided to research weight loss surgery and discovered lap band. for the first time in a long time i have hope. i want to have babies and be hot again! i want to make my husband proud to have me on his arm. hubby is totally supportive of me getting the surgery. he knows that once i lose the weight, i can get a job bartending (i bartended when i was skinny and made FABULOUS money)(vegas, baby!) in a big name strip casino (i have connections... yey for juice!) and we won't have to worry about money again. of course we have to figure out how to pay for it right now... we are looking into a home equity line of credit but i don't want to wait that long!!! he has freakishly good credit so i'm trying to talk him into getting a surgery loan for me... then we can use the home equity line of credit to pay it off. i want my life back! i'm so excited... and READY! so. that's my first entry into my lap band journal. :clap2:

if i had the cash RIGHT NOW, i would have made my appointment and gone. i started off curious, then i went into information overload and panicked. now i feel strong, confident and ANXIOUS as all get out!!! at night i lay in bed and fantasize about being skinny again. see, i've always been heavy. i remember when i was in the 5th grade they weighed us in front of all our peers. i weighed 125 and was MORTIFIED. i, at 12, out weighed my mom when she was 9 months pregnant with me! (she weighed 115lbs.) in high school, i went to an arts school where i didn't have to deal with a lot of the crap 'normal' high schoolers went through with popular cliques and cheerleaders, etc. so it didn't really bother me that i was so heavy... i was judged based on my talent, not my looks. but after high school is when i really started getting bummed about my weight. my best friends were all knock-outs. i was the fat friend. i let myself simmer in my misery until 2000. i was going to go to europe for a month and did not want to be fat in my pictures! i busted my rump dieting and exercising and lost 30lbs... i was 170 and felt like i looked AMAZING. but when my friend's grandmother said that maybe i wouldn't weigh so much if i didn't eat so much cake (i had ONE piece after dinner!!!) i was crushed. when i got home, i kicked off a diet exercise program like a mad woman. but i was doing it in a very unhealthy way - for breakfast i would have a cup of coffee blended with ice, for lunch i would have the same thing. for dinner i would have a bowl of cereal or a tiny piece of chicken. after a few days i would be SO HUNGRY that i would binge eat, then punish myself for a few days afterwards by eating nothing but dry cereal. i was at the gym around 2 hours 5x a week. i was exhausted all the time and my hair was falling out. but i was losing weight! i got down to 130lbs and a size 6. even though looking back i realize i was smokin' hot, all i could focus on was getting down to 100lbs - what my mom weighs. i was miserable all the time, but then i fell in love. we went out to eat all the time and i gained 25lbs in 6 months. when i got too heavy for his motorcycle we broke up. my rebound guy ended up being the love of my life and my husband! for the first time in my life i was blissfully happy... and the weight piled on. at first i didn't care. my hair was thick and beautiful, my nails were long, i wasn't exhausted all the time and i could EAT. but... then i started not being happy with my clothes not fitting and the way people would look at me... sex started being less and less in frequency. then i hit plus size again and i realized i had to do something. but i couldn't lose like i did before. i couldn't abuse my body and i also had a husband to cook for. i overhauled my entire diet... i stopped eating red meat and dairy. i only ate whole grains. blah blah blah. i even joined weight watchers. but... i lost 15lbs and nothing more. in 5 months!!! that's when i decided to research weight loss surgery and discovered lap band. for the first time in a long time i have hope. i want to have babies and be hot again! i want to make my husband proud to have me on his arm. hubby is totally supportive of me getting the surgery. he knows that once i lose the weight, i can get a job bartending (i bartended when i was skinny and made FABULOUS money)(vegas, baby!) in a big name strip casino (i have connections... yey for juice!) and we won't have to worry about money again. of course we have to figure out how to pay for it right now... we are looking into a home equity line of credit but i don't want to wait that long!!! he has freakishly good credit so i'm trying to talk him into getting a surgery loan for me... then we can use the home equity line of credit to pay it off. i want my life back! i'm so excited... and READY! so. that's my first entry into my lap band journal. :clap2:

that makes me feel better - i wasn't too concerned about the scarring but if i can avoid it, that would be great. i feel really lucky that even as large as i am, i was spared belly stretch marks... so when i lose enough i can bare my tummy! well, if my scars heal nicely, that is. does dr. ortiz automatically use that or do you have to ask for it?

that is so exciting! about your surgery, not the cleaning house. LOL. audree: "surgical crazy glue"!!! that cracked me up for some reason. is that what it is really called?!? i love it!

oh! that is awesome information! i don't even have to research it! i just copied and saved it for later! LOL! i don't mind doing a modified version of low carb... but i don't eat red meat any more and try to limit my dairy. so doing a true low carb diet wouldn't be very practical for me. south beach looks very doable and almost similar to what i do now! i think we're going to the seminar either this wednesday or thursday. (i'm dragging my friend along who is very into nutrition and exercise. he's very supportive of me getting this done and i know he will remember to ask questions when i don't. i'm very lucky to have him!) if i learn anything new, i will of course share! :typing:

i am going to look into south beach. i did low carb years ago before it was fashionable and had a million products out there. i didn't lose a lot of weight, but i went down like 3 sizes... so i was thrilled. i know i don't want to do low carb again, but i remember south beach being more well rounded nutritionally speaking... besides, their frozen meals look WAY yummier!!! :hungry: audree, you are making this so easy for me! i am just constantly reassured by your posts!!! you are so well informed. my hero! :clap2:

you know... i have a question. i am going to try to put this delicately... do uh, younger patients tend to lose more? :guess on another thead i saw a few ladies with the same amount of weight i wanted to lose but after months they had only lost a little bit... but they were 55+... so i was just wondering.:paranoid

my biggest fear is getting banded only to lose 20lbs. i mean, 20 would be great! but not for 9K!!! i decided to go to a seminar offered at a local clinic even though i am going with dr. ortiz. the more information, the better, eh? it really does help reassure me when i see people with similar stats losing! thanks guys! you rock!!!:clap2:

my fuzzmuffin goes nakkie in the house and he wears a harness when out and about. quincy is an ori-pei (pug/shar pei) so he has a small neck and collars are very dangerous...! the pug rescue i got him from said that a huge cause of death in dogs is being strangled by their collar. breaks my heart. i am SO HAPPY you were home and they are okay!!!

hi! i'm not sure if i'm a low bmi... probably not... 210lbs 5'1 bmi 39.7. i was wondering if anyone else had similar stats that have already been banded. i am SO curious as to what to expect weightloss wise. i mean, i realize everyone is different, but i keep reading about people who are 300+lbs... i don't think that really applies to me. also, the people with my weight always seem to be 5'5 and taller. i'm SO excited and anxious! i don't have a day set... hubby is trying to get a home equity line of credit, but i may just apply for credit on my own. i made my decision and i don't want to wait! my sister-in-law is getting married in june and this will be the first time that i have gone home with hubby and will meet all his friends and family. i want to make a good impression and not be ashamed at how heavy i am. i have a passport, but got married so it's in my maiden name... should i reapply for a new one (mine doesn't expire until 2011) or could i sneak with it...? my hub can't take days off work when i have my surgery so i will have to spend some time alone... if i flew in on thursday, could i have the surgery on a friday? does anyone know if that is too soon? or should i arrive on a wednesday? hubby will drive down on saturday and take me home sunday... i ask too many questions! i also talk too much. go figure!

it was in researching lap band that i found this place. i went from on the fence to begging my hubby to go NOW. LOL. i don't even have the words to express how happy i am to have found this place!!! :high5:

oh my. i did a ton of research and you know what? i think i researched TOO MUCH. i'm completely overloaded. some people love it and swear by it, some people regret it. some people had major medical issues result. some people couldn't find doctors to do their fills. some say they didn't lose any weight, or only lost 20 or so lbs. i am just... freaked. i thought i had Dr. Ortiz picked out and was thrilled with my choice. then i researched Tijuana mx and, um, EW. i then called my best bud for reassurance and he laughed and went "while you are getting your surgery, your husband can get a hooker!" now, he was kidding of course, but if the first thing he thought of when i said tijuana was hookers... what kind of reputation does this city have?! i know i am spazzing out. i was just so happy and now... what if i spend close to $9-10k on this and i only lose 20lbs or none at all or i have to drive back to tijuana every time i need a fill?!?!? (i live in vegas) i see so many that have lost a good deal of weight... so why am i letting all the other ones get me down? plus i bet some people forget to update their lil trackers?! for the first time in a reallllllllllllly long time i felt HOPE... you know? now what?!!! my husband is willing to get a home equity line of credit to pay for this... i'd be crushed if it was a waste of money. i mean, you know the kind of home improvements we could do for that money!? *DEEP BREATH* did anyone else go through these same panicky fears? how did you get over it? help!:faint:

i'm going to google him! i really appreciate all the input. i'm so excited, but incredibly anal about researching EVERY aspect first. luckily i live in vegas (never thought i'd put 'luckily' and 'vegas' in a sentence!) and there is a lap band center about a 20 minutes from me and another 45 minutes away. plus there is one mexican surgical center that is about a 5 hour drive if need be. so i think i have that covered. i can't even get the doc's here to give me even an estimate on the surgery. i really like the idea of getting it all done without fighting for years... anyhow, THANKS! that was great information!

i love forums. when i got a pug, i was obsessed with a pug forum. the information you get is just amazing. and now, after weeks of research, i decided on lap band so i found a lap band forum! even though i know i want this, i know i can't get it done here in NV. insurance doesn't cover it. i have been especially lucky in the sense that i don't have any health issues... but how long can that last? i am 5'1 and over 200lbs. i have been on weight watchers for 7 months and have lost 15lbs. i am practically a vegetarian - no red meat, no dairy. my life consists of veggie burgers, whole grains and sugar free. and yet... no real weight loss. i am at the point in my life where i want to settle down and have kids. my husband is excited for me to be happy again. i'm seriously considering going to Mexico for the surgery... but when you say that, the first thing most people think of is some filthy backwater clinic in the middle of nowhere. after my research, i know that the majority is NOT like that... but... i still worry. i want the best that i can get. so far 2 names stick out - Dr. Ortiz and i can't remember the other off hand, (rumbart?). i would like to do it sooner, rather then later. i think i'm just rambling now. i just wanted to say hi and how glad i am i found this forum!!! your stories are totally inspirational!!!!!!! :clap2:

i've been doing a TON of research and i have a few fears about using doctors in mexico... first, does everyone speak understandable english? are the medical facilities really as great as they say in their websites? do they tell you one price to get you there and then end up charging you more? i of course want the best doctor, but have to be price conscience as well. i am so anxious to make a change!!! any information is really appreciated!