hodegard

I had a lower body lift. I will also need two more surgeries; one will take care of my batwings and my breasts, and the other will take care of my inner thighs.

I was banded about two and a half years ago, and I've lost about 115 pounds. I also had a lower body lift last summer. At 185 pounds, I'm STILL a size 18. It's so frustrating, and I'm getting more and more depressed about it. I have a friend who weighs the same as me and wears a size 12!! I know that all bodies are different, and everyone carries their weight differently, but I'm really starting to get depressed, thinking that no matter how much weight I lose, I'm still going to be huge. Is there anyone else out there who's weight and size don't seem to match up?

Yes, Dr. Neal does do them. He performed my surgery and he (or one of his nurses) does my my fills. Their website is http://www.pacsurgical.com.

Great idea for a thread! Gee, for me simply allowing my picture to be taken is a huge NSV in itself!

That's no small achievement! That's HUGE!! Let's face it, our membership in the Clean Plate Club is what helped put us in a place where we needed WLS in the first place, and giving up a plate that still has food on it is a huge mental hurdle! Congrats!

I've only noticed this type of response from two kinds of people: 1. People who have never had a battle with their weight in their entire lives. People who have never struggled with their weight don't understand why we don't just quit eating and start exercising. For them, it IS that simple, and they don't understand that that's not the case for everyone. 2. People who have unsuccessfully battled BIG weight problems. I'm not talking about the people who have 15-20-40 pounds to lose; I'm talking about the people who are extremely obese themselves. I have a customer who is in TOPS and is extremely heavy. She's eating junk food every time I see her, and she's extremely critical of the WLS patients who get the same weight loss "rewards" at their meetings as the the non-WLS people. (She doesn't seem opposed to the surgery; she just doesn't view it as a "valid" weight loss program, I guess.)

Is it just me, or is it absolutely crazy that if you want to attend just the dinner, it costs $40??? Hello?? We're talking about a group of people who, collectively, probably won't eat $40 worth of food, much less $40 per person!!

I actually started my period the morning of my surgery. They wouldn't let me use a tampon or wear my own underwear, but they did have me wear the meshy ones that they give you when you have a baby. When I woke up, the underwear were long gone, but they had me lying on one of those disposable pads (I don't know what they're called but they remind me of the pads that you lay on your floor to housebreak puppies... LOL). I also had a maxi pad between my legs, and to be honest, I moved so little that it stayed right in place, even without underwear holding it there. Sounds like each doctor has a different way of handling it, based on the replies to your question. But, like someone else said, you can be sure that it isn't the first time that your doctor has come across this. If you are able to call the doctor's office and ask how he would prefer for you to handle it, then you can be prepared with grungy underwear, a tampon, or nothing at all, depending on what he wants you to do. Here's a suggestion that I have for you, though, for after you come home. If you don't keep maxi pads on hand, buy yourself some. You won't feel like "contorting your body" the way that you need to in order to insert a tampon for a few days. Regardless of how much you might hate using pads (if that's the case), you'll be glad to be prepared in this case.

Victoriana, I, too, have read that book. I actually went through a study with the book at my church. I agree that it's a good book, and I saw a lot of myself in it.

My depression is due to a chemical imbalance. I have fought it all of my life; in hindsight, my mom says that she can see it as young as my toddler years. The lexapro worked pretty well for me for a couple of years, but it's like I've "outgrown" it or something. And the downcycle that I'm in now is the worst that I've had in about 15 years. This is the second drug that I've "outgrown" after just a couple of years, and I'm beginning to feel like, "What's the point? In a couple of years, this won't work either, and I'll be right back where I started." I didn't realize that a "coctail" of multiple drugs was even an option. When I see my doc in January, I'm definitely going to ask about it. I'm also switching counselors in January. I really want a Christian counselor, and my new insurance (that kicks in January 1st) will cover me to see the one that I have in mind. My current counselor is great, and I have nothing but good things to say about her, but maybe a new perspective will help get me back on track.

I was reading the other thread about who among us is on anti-depressants, and I noticed something. It seemed like everyone who said that they have taken Lexapro said that it is no longer working for them. Hmmm... I'm in the same boat, but I thought it was just me. I've gotten so bad that I've just quit taking them (not smart, I know... especially around the holidays!) Anti-depressants make me extremely exhausted ALL THE TIME, but it was a side effect that I was willing to accept, as long as the depression stayed away. If I'm not feeling any of the "benefits" of the drug anymore, then I'm not interested in taking them just for the miserable side effects! (No point in feeling miserable all the time ON them if I feel just as miserable OFF of them.) Increasing the dosage might be an idea, but I'm already on a fairly high dosage of it. Anyway, I thought it was interesting that everyone who mentioned Lexapro, specifically, seemed to have the same "it's no longer working for me" experience. After the first of the year (when the insurance at my hubby's new job kicks in), I plan to go to my doctor and ask for something else.

I'm at my lowest BMI right now, but I'm not done losing yet...

I had a lower body lift in August (which is like a tummy tuck on steroids), and I actually had my band FILLED just a couple of weeks before my surgery. They didn't have to do anything regarding my band except relocate the port.

Last night I went to a Weekenders party. (If you're unsure of what that is, it's a company that sells clothing through home parties.) The last time I went to one of these parties was about two and a half years ago (before my surgery), and I had to buy the largest size they carried. Last night, I had so much fun trying stuff on! Just enjoying that process is a MAJOR NSV for me. What's even more exciting is that I was able to wear several pieces in a medium. I honestly can't remember the last time I wore anything that size! It was so exciting!

A friend of mine just had her surgery yesterday, and she's doing great! They even sent her home yesterday afternoon. She has come so far (emotionally speaking) to have this done, and I'm so proud of her. She has been a friend of mine since before I was banded, and when I had it done, she kept saying, "I could never do what you've done" because she had an extreme fear of doctors. Obviously, she had to overcome that fear to end up lying on the operating table yesterday. I don't have those kinds of fears, so for me, having the surgery was not really a big deal from that perspective. But I've watched her go through this, and she has come so far. I AM SO PROUD OF HER!!