gretchens4

Thanks so much!! I hope you get your date soon. I will turn 38 soon after my surgery and am hoping to be at goal by my 40h bday! Take care and thanks for the warm welcome. Gretchen

Wow, another Mom of 4....how old are your kids? I have 3 boys 11, 8, and 5, and a little girl who's 3. It's so busy......they were out of school for a snow day today and I am so tired. I can't wait to feel in better shape. Even when I weighed 40 pounds less I exercised and felt pretty good most of the time. Good luck to you and please keep me posted. Gretchen

Congrats! I'm new here too and am scheduled for 2/23........your story is so inspiring. You've lost so much in just a short time. I'm almost 38 now, and this is kind of my 40th present to myself also.......I'm hoping to be at goal weight by the time I turn 40 (also the year all of my kids will be in full day school!). Take care. Gretchen

It's good to know it could get better quickly. I don't even think I was near this "lazy" 30 or 40 pounds ago. I feel now like I did at the end of pregnancy (or worse). It's so hard, b/c mentally I want to do things, but physically I just can't. I make it to all my kids activities etc., but I just always feel like I'm thinking about my physical issues and how I'm going to make it through etc. I basically do only what I HAVE to. Thanks for the support! Gretchen

Hi, I'm new here and am scheduled to be banded on 2/23/07. I just introduced myself yesterday and asked a similar question. My house is a disaster, I can't keep up with my kids and everything is such a chore ( I have to talk myself into doing a load a laundry and then rest). I'm glad to hear it does get better, I can't stand being this way, but it's so gradual, you almost can't remember it being different (although I know it was). How much weight did you lose before feeling better? I'm around 290 now and have put on the last 40 in just the last 18 months. Gretchen

Thanks so much to both of you. I don't understand why food takes such a hold on some people either. I am successful also in the other aspects of my life (although they are going down hill rapidly b/c of my physical ailments and lack of energy). I just can't wait to feel better. Yes, I want to look better too, and the patience will be frustrating, but I can't wait and know I am totally ready. I can't believe we have the same surgery date!! We'll have to go through this together. I still have to visit a cardiologist and do a barium swallow, but all my other testing is this week. Keep me posted. Gretchen

Thanks so much for your replys. I feel so much hope hearing that with even a small loss (on a long journey) I could feel better. I also was a very active overweight person for many years. After my fourth child I spent a couple of years dealing with numerous issues and ended up gaining a lot more weight after years of hovering around 230-240. I am shocked how quickly I've gotten up to my present weight, but I do think it's those last 40 or so pounds that have really debilitated me. I thought maybe some of it was getting older, and tired with all the kids etc., but when I think of what I used to do, and how much more active I was, I'm sure much of it will be alleviated by weight loss. I also have stopped exercising in the last year which compounded all of it. I truly appreciate your responding. Gretchen

Hi, I'm a 37 year old Mother of 4, and am presently going through the pre-op appointments for the Lap Band procedure. I've been reading a lot on this site and I have a surgery date set for 2/23/07. I have an HMO and have no hope of having much covered, but I just can't wait any longer so I've decided to self pay (which should be interesting). My husband is supportive, and I think he'll probably follow along with my preop diet etc. I am pretty excited and apprehensive, but I just have such a good feeling about the surgery and how this will work for me. I am more of a volume eater, so I think this will really help me since portion control is my main downfall. I have been very overweight for a long time now, but just added another 40-50 pounds in the last 18 months, and know now is the time to do this. I have gotten to the point where I don't want to do anything with my family, and just getting up to do a load of laundry is a challenge. So far I have no major health problems, but so many aches and pains and discomforts. Sometimes it is hard to tell how much is the weight and how much is just me. Are there those of you that felt alot better after losing even those beginning pounds........I'm just wondering how long it will be until have more energy etc. b/c the total process is going to be long for me. I'm about 5'5" and 290 pounds right now. Thanks for listening and for all your inspiring stories.....take care. Gretchen