babsyintx

Hi, THere was another guy who died in Massachusetts right after surgery. He woke up and then had a heart attack from the anesthesia. Yes, it was after a lapbanding operation, but he was high risk to start with and they must have missed the heart problem. THere arent too many deaths due to the lapband itself. I only know of the Congresswoman in Michigan that everyone here is referring to and the guy in Boston. I dont know of any others. Babs in TX

Hi, I can eat pretty much anything without a problem. The only food that gives me trouble if I eat it too fast is hot dog buns or that kind of mushy wonderbread. IT gets stuck. Babs in TX

I find this to be an interesting topic. My son is overweight. He is almost 10 and weighs about 95 lbs. He was big since he was born and has always been in the 95th percentile since he is 3 months old. Since he was only getting breast milk and formula, it is safe to assume that a lot of his problem is genetic. He has always been big. My three year old is normal weight. He is 3 1/2 and weighs 36 pounds and is 38 inches tall. He was chunky as a baby, but thinned out and although he still looks like a bruiser, he is definitely not fat. My brother in law has two boys 13 and 10. They are both overweight. They get plenty of exercise ,but cant seem to thin out. They also eat very healthy food, but quite a bit of it. I was born a preemie and weighed about 4 lbs. So I dont necessarily see the correlation between birth weight and present weight. No one on my moms side f the family is overweight, but on my fathers side, there is definitely an obesity problem. Babs in TX

Hi Alex, I have had lots of highs and lows, but then again, I am a melodramatic person and tend to overdramatize things. I have had tons of plateaus and weigh fluctuations that range from a couple of pounds up to 10 pounds. If I deviate from a bandster food plan, I gain weight. If I dont exercise, I gain weight or cant lose. So this is for the long haul and it is a lifestyle change. THe liquid phase for me was torture. I was always hungry, even at the hospital!! I did not start mushies til week three. I was hungry often and very discouraged. Now as I come close to my 2 year bandiversary, I can look back and read my diary and laugh at some of the things I thought were earth shattering events when they were happening to me! As we have all heard before, the band is just a tool. You get what you put into it and you have to continually work at improving and changing and working with the band to maximize the result. Babs in TX

Hi, Sorry you are feeling down. 27 pounds is a lot to lose in less than a month. It sounds like you are not getting enough Protein, so your energy level is down. Why dont you add a few Protein shakes to the menu? Every doc is different with their post op diet. Follow your docs plan and dont compare yourself to others. When does your doc say you can start mushies? Babs in TX

Hi , Yup, very normal. Usually some of the gurgling will subside as the fill loosens up, but my throat still somtimes makes embarrassing noises!! Babs in TX

Hi Everyone, Just back from Cancun this weekend. I am nice and tan, but I am sure that I packed on some pounds while I was gone. I refuse to weigh until next week and I will be a good bandster until then and see what happens. Drumroll: I got my approval letter in the mail for my external appeal with my insurance for the medial thighplasty. My insurance is gonna pay for it.!!! Yeah! So they are paying for the stomach and the thighs. My PS is scheduled for next week on the 15th, but I have postponed it due to the fact that I have sold my house and I am moving in July. So my new surgery date is July 27th 2005. I didnt want to postpone it, but I cant see how I will be able to pack up a 4,000 sq ft house with drainage tubes sticking out of my body in all directions! LOL So I am back and I am gonna do my best to lose the weight I have gained in the last month due to cessation of smoking, the Welbutrin I have been taking and my endulgences while on vacation. I will post some pics soon!!! Babs in TX 334/18-/170 -154 give or take some pounds as of late....

Hi Yall, I am back again. I am really tired. I have been helping my MIL all day with her new apartment. I cant see straight. Thanks for all the support. I will be gone for 9 days starting on Thursday this weeek. I will talk to you guys when I return!!!! Babs in TX

Hi Again: Paula: I do have a job but I work from home, so no escape really from the MIL. Its just a couple more days. Then she is in her new home and I am off to Cancun with the family for 9 days of sun and fun. And as for the rest of the summer, I will be in compression garments from head to toe!!!! No swimming or sunbathing for a few months after the plastic surgery! Babs in TX

Hi, Jonathan and Leatha : I have been on the Wellbutrin for many months now (3 months). I was planning on attempting to quit smoking a while ago, but did not commit until 3 weeks ago. I have not lost any weight since I started with it and I have been having trouble to maintain my weight. I really dont need an anti depressant. IT was for the cessation of smoking. Now that I have accomplished this, perhaps I should just wean myself off and not pick a new medication. I believe the hard part is over on the quitting smoking issue. Thanks for all the hugs. Babs in TX

Hi Everyone, I have been gone for a while. Last Tuesday morning, I found out that my father in law died. I flew to FL with my kids and my hubby. I arranged the funeral, service and also the "at sea" ashes distribution. My father in law was cremated and this was his wish. I also organized a service at the ELks llodge in St. Augustine FL. I packed up my mother in law last Saturday. My husband flew home with the kids and I stayed and finished packing. My mother in law did not want to throw anything out and it took me two days to pack up a one bedroom apartment. We donated the furniture to charity. I drove the two of us back in her minivan with all her worldly belongings. It was a 12oo mile drive and it took me three days to complete it. As you know I quit smoking in preparation for my upcoming plastic surgery in June. Surprisingly enough, I have remained cigarette free since May 4th, even though I was sure a few times from the stress that I would start again. I did gain 6 pounds from eating buffets and restaurant food for the last two weeks. I am sure some of my intense hunger is because I have quit smoking and some of it is because I am taking Welbutrin to help me to quit and a lot of it is stress eating. I have since gotten myself back on track and hope to be back where I was before I left. My mother in law is staying with us until Tuesday next week. We found her a great place in a retirement community that she really likes. She is not accustomed to cooking since she was previously living in an independent living community that provided 3 meals a day in the dining area. Naturally, she expects me to cook meals and she refuses to drive even though she has a car and drivers license. I do understand that she is going through a tough time. She was married for 46 years and this cant be easy for her. She keeps making me feel guilty though. She threatens to jump off a pier, she slaps herself when she makes a mistake or talks too much and constantly tells me how guilty she feels that she is a burden to us. The truth is she is a burden, but I understand that this is temporary. She can be quite demanding and the demands start at 7:00 am until 9:00 pm in the evening. She wont even get herself a cup of coffee or attempt to do anything for herself. I did her laundry yesterday, made all her meals, cleaned up after her , bought her new furniture and household goods, took her to a dozen different retirement communities and wheeled her around in a wheelchair even though she has never needed assistance in her life to walk. Anyway, I am ranting here. I am glad to be back. I am also waiting for my insurance appeal for the medial thighplasty to come through. I called my insurance company and legally they only have five more days to give me answer in regards to the external appeal that I asked for with a board certified plastic surgeon. So although I am definitely having plastic surgery, I dont know whether it will be only the stomach, or the stomach and the boobs, or all three at one time. I am really frustrated. Babs in TX

Hi, I presently own a franchise for Management Recruiters International. My website is www.thesciantgroup.com. Before I was a headhunter, I lived and worked in Europe in full scale production, live shows, concerts and casting for tv. And before that I worked in publishing for 12 years as a Marketing Director. I like to reinvent myself every 5 years or so..... Babs in TX

Hi Vinesqueen, Lovely post. But I think you misunderstood. I did not PM any message cause everything I needed to say I said here on the board. I think that Jenna was referring to someone else who PM'ed my response to her. DIdnt quite understand that myself! Anyway, well said!!! Babs in TX

Theresa, Congratulations on your bandiversary!!! You are doing great and you look sooooo happy! Keep up the good work!! Babs in TX

Jenna, I was fine with your ranting until you said this: " If you felt beautiful at 350, then great. But everyone else looked at you like a fat pig." THis was uncalled for in an effort to make your point. At 334 pounds, I owned my own company with 11 employees who respected me, I am still married to the same man for 10 years with whom I have had two children. He has been with me even at my highest weight. I had friends who respected and cared for me and I was successful. Most morbidly obese people are classic overachievers and are successful in every area of their life with the exception of their weight. I still had successful good looking men hitting on me at 334 lbs. I traveled around Europe, Africa and the Middle East as part of my job, sipped on champagne in the French Riviera and networked with some powerful real estate executives and government officials. And yes, I still had people tell me that I was beautiful. Confidence and self esteem were not my problems, but low self esteem appears to be your problem and no matter how much weight you lose, until you resolve your self worth issues it wont change anything at all whether you can get into a bikini or not. Admittedly, now at 180 lbs, I still feel fat. Yes, I am overweight. Do people stare less? I suppose, although I really dont recall people staring at me before. I think I was hardest on myself. Do people treat me differently? Most definitely. Now I have even MORE men hitting on me. But my friends treat me the same. My husband treats me the same. And the people who cared for me before still treat me the same. And all the assholes who had an issue with my weight, well I dont know who they were. I have only ever had one man in my life tell me to lose weight. I was 19 years old, weighed 192 in a size 16 and he thought I was fat. SOunds like a personal problem.... And as for your second remark: "Babs, I am not really directing this at you but for those that feel the need to be so chicken shit as to PM me your nasty words rather than post here and be heard." My words were not nasty in my first post. But yours are and your hostility is shining through. I bet you are one of those people that look at morbidly obese people in restaurants and think they should have their jaws wired shut.... You are the worst kind of hypocrite because you say you understand the differences between your situation and someone who is morbidly obese, but you really dont and you dont respect my opinion at all. I was never mean or vindictive in my response post. I was just pointing out that there is a difference of perspective. There are people who have had this surgery at weight of 600 pounds + who think , "If I could just get under 200 lbs, be healthy and not have my feet aching and I can wipe my own butt, I would be happy"..... I certainly do not begrudge you the chance at happiness. If getting into a size 6 again and wearing a bikini will do it for you, then by all means, set your goal and get there. But dont be angry if people with real health issues (regardless of BMI) have a difference of opinion about whether someone should have a lapband procedure for cosmetic reasons only or health reasons.. I say if someone is willing to pay to LOOK better, then so be it. Kudos and have a great life. Just dont insult my intelligence. Babs in TX

Jenna, No offense, but I think you are beautiful in both sets of pictures. Now the question is: Would I prefer to look like the first picture or the second /third picture? Well, of course I would prefer to look like the first picture. And a person would have to be blind not to be able to see the difference. We live a superficial world where there is a huge premium on being slim and beautiful. Heres my dilemna: If someone told me I had a choice to be healthy, no comorbidities, no edema, no hyperinsulinemia, no diabetes, no high blood pressure and no medications, but the trade off would be that I would be the weight you are in the second picture and that was the best I could do, would I have had lapband surgery? Well, you betcha. I know lots of very happy and healthy people with 30-32 BMI's that exercise daily and have a body fat index that is less than 25%. They would be considered obese by insurance charts, but healthy if you looked at their fat index. I would say that the majority of us folks who had lapband surgery did not do it with the expectation that we would ever be able to wear a bikini bathing suit, get to a size 4 or have the surgery cosmetically to improve our appearance. And yes, this is coming from someone who is scheduled to have plastic surgery and remove 5 lbs of excess off my stomach that is hanging to my pubic area, 8 lbs of skin and fat off my thighs so I dont have skin infections anymore and throwing in a breast augmentation with implants just for me. Despite all this, I will still have massive scars from knee to groin, hip to hip and pretty much everywhere else as well. I am doing this to improve my quality of life and my insurance company sees two of these three procedures as medically necessary. (The new boobs arent, but I am paying for it) So there is a big difference between truth and perception. THat is why insurance companies pay for surgery for folks with 35 BMI with comorbidities and 40 BMI with no cormobidities. If someone is self paying for their surgery with a lower BMI and they are disturbed by layers of fat, I say kudos to them if they can afford it and they want to better their life and stop the yo yo dieting. And yes, I can understand that the pictures (at least to you are disturbing). THe last time I weighed 150 was when I was 15 years old. Yeah, I looked hot in a bikini and yes I can remember what I looked like. And yes, I have pictures of me at 160, 170, 180, 200, 247, 260, 270, 300, 325, 334 etc.. I know it can be disturbing and each person has a point where they wake up and are terrified of what they have become. I was just hoping that you could also see another perspective. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I believe that I am just as beautiful now as I was when I weighed 334 lbs. Yeah, I was miserable because I could not walk up a flight of steps without stopping 3 times to catch my breath, not because I didnt look good in a bikini anymore. I had the surgery because I was sure I would be dead in 10 years, have a heart attack and die and never see my kids grow up. I guess its all in perspective.... Babs in TX 334/180 -154 new goal: 170 or less if my body wants to be there....

Hi flower, My doc did not give me a percentile, but I have lost over 90% of my excess weight. So dont go by statistics. If you follow the program and stick to bandster guidelines, you can lose 100% if you want to... Babs in TX

Hi paula, First, I dont think there is a surgeon out there (even in Mexico) that would band someone with a 31 BMI. You would have to have some serious comorbidities for anyone doctor to consider this. Please understand that I am not unsympathetic to your situation. If a tool like the lapband was available when I was "only 35 pounds overweight", perhaps I would not have ballooned up to over 334 lbs. Yes, I think banding is an extreme measure for someone to consider that is overweight or borderline obese. I think what most people are trying to tell you here is that the band truly is just a tool that helps with satiety. Unlike a bypass where you have dumping to prevent or discourage you from eating a piece of chocolate cake, you dont have either malabsorption or dumping with the lapband. So having the band wont stop you from eating a bowl of ice cream or Cookies or tortilla chips or soft high caloric foods or candy etc... It will help you with portion control if you stick to the solid Proteins. If you are eating watery mash potatoes, you probably could eat a similar portion after banding if you wanted to..... Babs in TX

Lisa, Happy Bandiversary to you!!!! I never saw your before picture. What a change woman!! You look great and I am very proud of you. You have done a great job despite all the problems you have had. Hugs, Babs in TX

Hi, I am an Australian Kelpie, which is supposed to some kind of sheep herding dog. It looked like a cross between a dingo, shepard and doberman. Never seen one like it before!!! Babs in TX

NYgirl and Rae: THat is really wonderful that you quit!!! Lets try to keep it going. Dixie: YOu make it sound depressing! Am I gonna be craving cig's 2 years later and thinking about them every three or 4 hours? THat is really scary. Now, I am really freaked out. I had one this morning, but so far nothing more. Like I said, I got one in the pack, but to me this is like my security blanket, so I am not gonna smoke it! LOL Babs in TX

Hi Everyone, Since my upcoming plastic surgery is June 15th for my extreme makeover, I have to quit smoking and be smoke free at least 4 weeks prior to surgery. So yesterday (drumroll) I did not buy a new pack of ciggies. I went from 5:00 pm yesterday until 8:00 am today without a smoke. I only have one cigarette in the pack and when this one is gone, I am going cold turkey. I have never really tried to quit seriously. I beleive for me the only way to go is cold turkey after I smoke the last one. I did buy some tablets you put under your tongue that have nicotine in them. I will only use them as a last resort. So pleeeasse, if I get bitchy over the next few days (time of the month and cessation of smoking will do this to ya...) please forgive me and dont hold it against me!! Babs in TX

Hi Again: Got on the scale and today I was at 184. I am gonna drink 80 oz of Water today, hit the gym and eat healthy today. We will see..... Babs in TX

Hi Again: Lisa - I know the scale is accurate. I started my journey on the scale I am on now. NoOOOOO, I havent thrown it out a window yet, but I might do that tomorrow if there isnt an improvement. Vinesqueen: I still have a high body fat index. At least thats what was indicated on my docs 5,000 tanita scale in his office and what the folks at Curves used to tell me. It might be time to go and get tested by a professional to see where I am really at.... Zoe: "kicking bony ass"" MMMM, that reminds me of the movie "Working Girl" where Melanie Griffith tells Sigorney Weaver, "If you dont get out of my way, I gonna kick your bony ass...!" OR something like that.. My ass will never be bony, but thanks for the compliment Paula: Ya missed the boat. I started at 185.5 ten days ago and dropped 3.5 pounds only to put them back on. I am back to 185.5 as of this morning! Well, I was a good girl so far today. Had no Breakfast, ate 4 turkey meatballs and 6 wheat crackers for lunch. Just ate another meatball and 2 crackers and dinner will be salmon with brussel sprouts and a couple of teaspoons of low carb mashers. I just got back from the gym where I burned 400 calories in an hour on the elliptical and the stationary bike. I will probably have some popcorn tonight and a fat free pudding. Crap, I hate dieting!!! Babs in TX

Hi Michelle, I have noticed that my pants are a little looser (the 14's) and that none of my tops fit anymore. i need to do a new clothing purge soon. Thanks for bringing this up. I guess I was just hoping that I would make it into the mid 170's before the plastic surgery work would begin.... Babs in TX