Sharpie

Wonderful for you both. So awesome that you are now healthy enough to take care of your children. God Bless you all.

My Husband and I had our first date on Valentines Day 40 years ago. We married on March 26th 40 years ago. I lost him in October and I will have a sad Valentines Day this year but I will always remember what a wonderful man and devoted husband he was. so yes you can fall in love that quickly and many times it last like ours did. go with your heart and let your brain follow.

One more rule is They might get me once , maybe twice but not three times.. I have one best friend and when I had surgery she stayed over night in the room with me , stayed with me a few days after coming home. She sat with me while my husband was in intensive care and came to hospice with me and stayed when he was dying. I know what true friendship is and if I needed her for anything she would come. I try to be the friend to her as she is to me. If M is not that kind of friend you need to put her on your acquaintance list.

Jane there are "real" friends and "user" friends. I am a horse person have been for most of my life. I can tell you horse people are difficult to figure out sometimes. I had a friend who wanted to ride, didn't have much money either, I loaned her a horse she ended up selling it and never paid me or even told me until it was too late. I was so angry , Because come to find out that horse went to a bad home, lived in neglect and ultimately starved.. I have bought and sold horses and some of those experiences were not good. People will lie and cheat to get money or whatever they are after. I am truly sorry for your experience but one thing I have done over the years is if someone is not honest with me and contributes to the friendship without expecting me to give them something I will be okay, if not, I'm done, Toxic is a word I use for people who negatively affect you. You can not forgive or forget until you decide to let it go and stay away from that person.

I have flown many times after my band, I don't know what was set off but I went through the xray and metal detector and nothing responded. as far as I know the band is not metal. my husband had artificial knees and yes they picked up on the detector.

Where do you live, Sharpie?

I live in North Florida about 45 minutes North of Gainesville, Go Gators...

Just wanted to show you all the picture of me and Julian taken at our company Christmas party. I still have the picture of me at the party back in 2011 when I was probably 250 or so lbs. and had such trouble standing during the cocktail hour due to my knee and hip pain. I don't know how many times I can say thank goodness I got this WLS.

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lovely photo Liz. he is a nice looking guy. So happy for you and yes I thank God every day for my band. I ran into a friend in Walmart today she walked past me.. I had my boots and a fringy sweater on (I thought it was cold 45 deg. lol) she said omg you look wonderful. made me feel good and I told her honestly I feel great except coping with my husband's death day to day . She said you have never looked better.. yippee..

okay you northerners.. WE actually got snow flurries here in Sunny Florida.. You know we were freaking out. but they didn't close schools or interstates.. I am not a cold weather person, that is why I live here. I feel bad for you all when it gets to the point of closing cities and transportation. We have had that problem with hurricanes. I like the comments about what to stock up on.. I think I would have to do yogurt, cheese, eggs and definitely coffee..

p.s. Debbie your son is very handsome, I know you are proud of him .

Had my surgery 3 years ago on the 15th of January. following up with your surgeon is a good idea. Believe me he is not going to scold you for gaining a few lbs. or not getting to your goal. You might want to see if there is a support group in your area. There are no perfect people here, no one has all the answers.I think you need a fill but I am not a Dr. just another bandster . Be proud of what you have accomplished and be determined to move forward.

Thank You ladies, I am happy that I became involved on this forum. We all have stories of why we chose surgery. As I tell anyone who asks, this is not the "easiest" thing to do to lose weight. But after years of trying to do it the conventional way or the way most people try to do it, I was a failure. I lost weight many times only to re-gain it shortly after stopping yet another diet or program. There are many more on here who had more of a challenge than I did but due to my health concerns I felt an urgency to take that step to fix it. I love reading all of your success stories and looking at photo's of before and after. Each person who writes their story or tells of their NSV's gives me the hope that this is my last weight loss program. After maintaining my loss for 3 years I am very hopeful. I do have some moments especially the last few months of my husband's health crisis that I did not follow all the rules but I have since tried to re-group. I have not gained but have not lost. The best we can all hope for is a comfortable place with ourselves and our weight loss situation. I do feel liberated somewhat in that I do not stress about every bite I take and whether I should go out to eat, etc. Take Care my friends and be well.

Today is my 3 year Bandiversary. My Primary Care Physician advised me that my blood sugar and cholesterol numbers were not good and were getting worse. I asked him what can I do ? he said you have to lose weight and keep it off. I was at about 200 lbs at that time. I am 5 ft.0 inches tall. so, my mobility was limited and I was spending most of my time in my recliner watching TV and eating. I had zero energy and zero ambition or motivation . I made the decision to contact a friend who I knew had weight loss surgery. She had her lapband done about 10 years ago. She had lost 100 lbs. I knew she would be honest with me about her experience. She said it was the best thing she ever did. Her health has improved and her mobility is 100% better. I contacted the bariatric center and consulted with my surgeon. My surgery was scheduled for the 15th of January 2013. I am now 70 lbs lighter, My diabetes is under control I do not have to take any medication and my A1C is below diabetic level. cholesterol is normal, I do not take anything for cholesterol and my blood pressure has returned to normal. I am more active and happy than I have been for years. At age 66 it was a big decision for me to undergo surgery but I would do it again in a heartbeat. If you are considering taking the step to improve your health and well being, talk to your Dr. Be aware that this is not the Easy Way Out as people like to say, it's hard work but the rewards are well worth it.

I am sure there are successful weight watcher folks out there but honestly I could not take the points thing. the diet itself is okay, nutritionally sound but honestly it was a pain in my butt. the meetings where I had to pay to go and see the same fat people week after week. They would weigh in and get a standing ovation for losing 1/2 lb or 1/4 lb. I became really bored with all of that. I haven't seen the program you all are talking about so I can't comment. AS for oprah.. I am not sure why with all of her money she hasn't gotten surgery but I think she is hoping that by buying WW she will become a model for them. I wish her the best and I know she has struggled but I am extremely happy that I had my lapband and I can eat what I want but just not too much of it...

Terry so glad to see you are doing well. I am almost to my 3 year bandiversary as well . I come on the site to see how everyone is doing and I still have some struggles. The biggest problem I had this year was the illness and subsequent death of my husband. emotional eating is a difficult thing to overcome. I am still doing good too , gained a few lbs throughout my husband's hospital stays and hospice at the end. WE always seek comfort in food when we are emotionally at a low point. I still am happy that I made the choice to have lapband and I have lost some of the "comfort" weight since his death in October. My health is definitely better and I am much more active than before. Take Care and check in once in awhile. I miss some of the regulars that helped me so much in the beginning.

I am pretty sure they are compensated somehow.. If you watch the shows much you will notice at some point they are driving new vehicles mostly trucks. somebody has paid for that. As to whether they get free surgery I do not know for sure I would assume they are under some kind of contract. I have chatted with one of the gals that has had surgery and was on the show . but I did not ask her about the money thing. I am inspired by their stories and don't care if they are paid or not just happy when they are successful.

I really think it's just a man thing. My husband used to kid with me about getting thinner and how he would have to watch me. Nothing could have made me betray him, he was the best husband anyone could have. But it was his way of complimenting me. I know he did not feel I would be unfaithful to him .

Way to go Liz.. yes the holidays can be treacherous.. I had to end up throwing stuff out.. Cookies we made for Santa.. (I didn't want to look like Santa). fudge, candy and finally the remaining cheese cake.. (my downfall). I also had some silk pie left in my fridge that had to go. Sugar is my crack. It felt kind of good to be strong enough to chunk it.. I absolutely cannot eat Chinese and I'm good with that because I used to love it too much. I have been using this ugly, cold, rainy day to re-group and reorganize my house.. de-christmased and trying to go through some of my husband's things that I think the kids might want.. that has been the most difficult today.. I have quit for now because it's becoming too emotional for me..

I know you understand. Anyway wanted to tell you good job on holidays and keep it up.

It took me about a week after surgery to start to feel normal. Mainly I was tired and sore but I work at home and sit at my computer. I did work a few days after surgery but not much. take the time to heal . Drink as much as possible and walk around the house. Heating pad works well for gas pain in your shoulders. I really did not have much discomfort so I am hoping you also have a easy time. Take Care.

Debbie looking good,, Bandista, take care of yourself. I had a good New Years Day, stayed on the couch in my pj's, weather here was rainy and cool. Dumped my house of all crap food, Cookies, candy, left over cheesecake and pie.. I'm on a mission to maintain and even maybe lose a few lbs. I need to start walking if I can. My hips are giving me problems . Arthritis seems to be causing that. so, exercise is difficult but I know I need to move. I am looking forward to the New Year and hope today will be a good day to de=Christmas my house. Good to see how well everyone is doing. Keep up the positive posts.

salmon patties are good if you like the canned salmon, I am not a fan of grilled or baked salmon steaks so I make salmon patties like crab patties. mix with an egg, some bread crumbs and onion, lightly brown in non stick skillet. pretty good and not really fishy .

My surgeon told me my band is for life unless something unusual happens. I have only had mine almost 3 years but I have not had any issues with mine. My surgeon is really conservative with fills and asks me to check in with him at least every 6 months. I know had I not taken the step to surgically intervene I probably would be very unhealthy. The health thing scared me more than the appearance thing. But, I must say I sure enjoy looking better.

Happy New Year to all my banded friends. January 2016 has started and it will be 3 years on the 15th since my life changed for the better. I still have to be aware of what is going in my mouth but overall I am happy with where I am now. My health has improved 100%, the freedom from diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol is wonderful. No medications at my age (69) is an accomplishment. I have decided to due some things in 2016 (not a resolution) just goals. Drinking more Water . I"ve always struggled with that. Eating less carbs and exercise more. May everyone's year be blessed.

Joe I am sorry for the loss of your cousin. Yes everyone needs to live life as much as possible and enjoy every minute with the people you love. I was happy my husband and I made our trip to Alaska before he passed away . I would love to go back and do some hiking and more exploring. He really wasn't physically able to do that but we had a nice trip. Life sure does take all kinds of turns sometimes. I hope you continue to enjoy your health and enjoy your time with your wife and family.

P.S. stop watching utube videos and reading negative stories.. it will be the best thing you have ever done for yourself.

Welcome to the January banders. My 3 year Bandiversary is Jan 15th. I am so happy I made the decision to have band surgery. I have never had any problems with mine. I had diabetes , high blood pressure and high cholesterol , I no longer have any of them. This is a wonderful place to ask questions and voice any concerns. We've all been there and done that. Best of luck on your upcoming surgery let us know how you are doing and how we can help.

Julie I am feeling your sadness too.. First Christmas without my husband of 39 years . My kids are trying hard to keep me upbeat and I am going to try to keep things as normal as possible for them. I feel his presence in our home every day and I have wonderful memories of our life together . I was blessed with a man who was my biggest fan and my rock. His children adored him and we were so lucky to have him in our lives. Things will become easier for me and for you too my dear, I hope your holiday is good and yes a calm year in 2016 would be wonderful. Take Care of yourself.

Just saying hi and checking in with my favorite group!!
Im feeling so blessed to have surpassed the 9 year mark of banded life ...and feel very grateful for the gift of health I gained.
The second holidays without my husband and the first without dad. Sigh. And their birthdays (!) are this Friday ....dec. 18. Sad. My kids are really being my touchstone lately...another thing to be so grateful for.
Each year gives (and takes) and I'll be ok when New Years comes . I'm hoping for no more surprises.... Just a nice calm year .... For all of us