PineNut

Hi All, I am struggling to be happy that I have gone a whole year without gaining anything. I did have a little gain (9lb) but was shocked into losing that. My weakness is Pepsi...full on , not diet....that I have let creep back into my life. Trying to limit it to 1 a day. Ice cream is a challenge too! I would like to have seen a better return on my investment (self-pay) than 50 pounds, but I too have to keep positive and relish the changes I have made. I did the Seattle Kid's Marathon with my girls in Nov and have been incredibly active inthe PTA. I would not have taken on these things prior to losing the weight. The cost of a fill does keep me from investigating if I need to have more restriction. There are a couple days a month where I can actually eat a sandwich or easily have pizza crust. Then there are days-like today- that I am struggling with grapes. ???? It is definately a change for the long haul. I also miss the support group meetings...I need to look into those again. All in all I am happy I had the surgery. I am telling myself that I will lose another 40 at least before I attempt insurance approval for a a panniculectomy. :ihih:

So I have updated my photo and read up on some of our progress, or lack there of, and it turns out I am not so alone in the boat! I have been stuck at a 50 lb loss since my 1 year anniversary. Now it seems that the m&m's and honey cashews have finally caught up with me and attacked with a 4 pound gain since Christmas. I have also been drinking WAY too much Pepsi. It seems to be just what I have been missing all this time. I am dissappointed in myself and that I spent all that money to not keep up with losing weight. I put my gym membership on hold over the summer for family reasons and when my Grandma finally passed on in Sept. I have been not been motivated for a whole lot. Just holding on. SO I hope to get back on here and be inspired or supportive to others. I hope to get back in the pool in February. I will give myself that long to kick the Pepsi!

After reading some of the posts about people having 1/2 a subway sandwich, I was shopping at Wal Mart and stopped by the Subway for the $5 special telling myself that my husband could eat the other half..........it smelled SO good and the veggies and cheese sandwich is one of the 2 things I truly miss (I would kill for a crescent some days). I toted that sandwich home and put the gorceries away- all the time anticipating that sandwich- I got myself situated and prepared to take a bite. ONE bite. I couldn't even swallow for I knew it was not going down. DISAPPOINTMENT. I had to settle for getting the Bagel Chips and having basically what amounted to ANOTHER salad only this time in between the bagel chips. Not as good as that Italian Parmesean, but I guess it was better than nothing.

I am in the same boat fighting the urge here at 10 am not to want to stop by DQ for the new blizzard on the way home! I never knew Ice Cream was such a downfall for me. I have been having trouble with eating lately and am determined not to back off to soups, etc. I haven't posted in a LONG time and I am trying to get back on board for support as my 1 year approaches. I had high hopes of losing 120 lb total , but 50 is still a great relief. Congrats on the gym efforts. I am trying hard to get on the elliptical that has been taking up a good portion of my bedroom for the last year! At least there are not any clothes on it!

Seattle Girl, I had Dr. Michaelson and have been really pleased with my whole NWWLS experience. I have had about 7 fills and a couple unfills...all included in the cost for 13 months after surgery. I have never felt like I have been chastised or anything for my frequent visits. THey are all so friendly and always willing to answer questions or help in any way. I really enjoy their whole staff.

Carol, I am in the Twin Lakes area...in Campus Woods here in Federal Way. I had surgery in Everett. Where in FW are you? The ticker thing always gives people fits at first.....you can go back to the LINKS above (in blue on this page) and update your signature (edit signature). THen you can possibly link to the tickerfactory site or you may have to go back to the site direct and create a new one(make sure to open a new window to go to the tickerfactory.com site). Seems I loose the link or path to mine regularly. But, at the edit signature page, you can highlight the existing ticker and delete it, then you go and click the button with the little mountain and moon in it onthe toolbar to insert a picture. It should then take you to the window that will let you tell it the URL or whatever it is called.....to the ticker. I always have another window open to the tickerfactory and then right click and copy only the items from in between the to (without highlighting those). So you should end up backing out the http:// business on the edit signature page and then pasting your information that you copied into that little window thing. I am so techinical in my ability :frown: IF all is done right, you should see your updated ticker in the preview of your signature. Now that I have confused you thoroughly, good luck. It is easy once you manage to get it in the right place once!

Gosh, everyone is doing so well! I have not been on here in quite a while so I will give a quick update: I am down 45 pounds. Not as much as the rest of you, but I am at least steady! I may actually be having to reconsider the liquid diet pre-op required by Dr. Oh. I seem to recall from the support group I went to that maybe it was about 30+ pounds of your totals lost prior to surgery? I hope so so that I feel that my pace is more in line with the rest of y'all. At least I can see that I can get there. I am right there with you on the flappy skin! My daughters seem to get great humor from poking my flabby arms now. And not to mention the grasping of the "hang down belly fat" on my front that they then exclaim that "Mommy you need to loose that with your weight. When are you getting it cut off?" Believe me, I am right there at the head of the line. I have been amazed by the inches that have come off. I was looking for some pants to wear this morning and came across some Caslon shorts I had that I couldn't inhale deeply enough to get on this past summer. I tried them on and they don't even touch my waist now. I have to do more to enjoy the non sacale victories out there. My latest was putting on a 20 at the Liz outlet. And I can't tell you the last time I went to Lane Bryant and things were too big. I am finally down to the 18/20 shirts. And of course the 3 cup size loss has been expensive in the bra department. It didn't take long to use up the gift card from my brother at Christmas. I am hoping that with my new job change (back to Federal Way) I will be able to join in on the support groups again. Can anyone remind me of the a.m. one at St Francis? Is the St Joe's one at 6 or 7pm? One more question....which mall are you walking at? Tacoma or The Commons?

Hi all, It has been a while since I have looked here, but I am still plucking along....a bit of a kiddie roller caoster ride, ya know? No major ups or downs, but I am on it for the run. I have recently had a bit of a scare....I went in for a fill and Jessie filled 'er up. We undid some since I couldn't get Water to go down and I thought all was well. Well, afraid not. I called the office at 11pm that night since I was going through the motions of vomiting but nothing was coming up. I was really trying not to have the convulsions of doing it, but they aren't too cooperative when you don't want to throw up! So Dr. Michaelson came on the line and told me to come in 1st thing and they would fluorscope me to see what we were dealing with. After another call in the morning to instruct me he would be out of surgery at noon, we decided to meet then. I had had a fill under the scope before, but not a standing up version. Of course I was greeted to the room with a drink...not of the frothy cocktail type, but some slick banana tinged stuff. THe 1st gulp was ok and then we looked at a big gas bubble in me pushing against my band- an indicator of too full- so he had me lie down for an unfill. Then I got round 2 of the gook, and a third for good measure since I didn't gulp enough on the 2nd round. GAAG. Everything looked better and felt better after that. Upon trying to eat solids the next day at dinner, I have discovered we are playing a whole new ballgame. THis is what restriction and 1-2 cups of food feels like. I am having to chew much more and really watch before I swallow. I have started loosing again so I am happy to put up with it. I remain encouraged by other's tickers but I wonder if anyone, like me, has noticed many more inches lost than pounds? I know I am in clothes that I wore at about 20 pounds less than I am now that do fit. I am not happy with the new playthings that my children have decided reside under my arms! THey think it is hillarious to bat at the flaps of loose skin under my arms! Gads. I am starting to research another surgery for that!

That would be POUNDS, not ponds.

Hey Cherrybomb! I spoke with Jessie at NWWLS after I went for an additional fill. I sure am glad we have 13 months of fills included. I have not hesitated to seek advice and help in that department! She thought maybe I had stalled because I was not getting all my water and then the fact that I was getting too many calories. Seems the bran muffin I have been having 2 times a week has about 500 calories. Gads. I have now cut those out. Also I was getting a bit carried away with the creamy sauce and having the chicken or burger patties out. So I packed my chicken salad today and just got the garden salad from the cafe up the street. I added apples to it and a bit of dressing. It was good. Then I had a secret shopper night at Applebees and I only had 1/3 of my chicken entree. I have been doing much better. I have an AP band (10cc) and have 6cc of fill in it now. I know it is tighter but I can still take my (2) 50mg zoloft. I have a whole bottle of the 100mg and can't stand the bitter taste of splitting them. Ugh. But I have to really watch drinking too soon after I eat. It is slowly becoming a less painful lesson. 32 ponds gone and counting!

OK, so I am back...... I was writing to Cherrybomb and that got kicked back so I was geting frustrated. I am doing ok, I managed to hit the -30 mark but now seem to need some help. I had to have an unfill of the .2cc I had earlier in August since I couldn't swallow any pills and was having difficulty with drinks too. I am better and have decided that I need a tiny bit more so I am off to Everett tomorrow so Jessie can fill me onthe first try. I have had a bout of pincushion-itis from the unfill. 5 pokes (3 under the scope) before the Dr. finally was summoned. He handled it on the 1st stick. THe one nurse just can not get me and of course she is the one who is doing the fills in Puyallup. SO off to Everett.....I am tracking that mileage for tax time! I need to concentrate onthe whole Water throughout the day and then protien first. I have been on a bit of a mixed diet- as in a lot of yum mixed and creamy saucey dishes. chicken divan last week was my undoing and I am sure it this the reason the scale is stuck. Funny how that works, huh. I like reading that all your kids are packing off to other ends and I am having my own battle of nerves with Kristen starting kindergarten! And another one right behind her next school year. I have a girlfriend from High School that has a Junior at WSU and she is only 9mo. older than me! Nothing like being the old Mommy I guess.

Hey everyone. I have posted but for some reason it tells me I am not authorized the action????? So I hope this posts. I will try before I write more. Here goes.....

Well, I was looking, but didn't see you. Me and Kristen came in almost last (we were a few late) and made our way to the back corner. I was scoping out everyone- I liked Linda when I had my appointment with her, but he public speach was a bit ....dry.... I was in the South End group and then went over to the Bothell one. How is your sister doing too? I went in last week for a bit (.2 cc) of an unfil. I was having more problems with swallowing and eating. TOO TIGHT. I was up to 6cc and now am at 5.8 and doing good. I have had a couple sliming issues, but no food has come back up. I am down 28 ponds! You and I are still losing parallel to each other. I like that the tickers can show our progress! I don't know about the 13th or 10th for meetings. It is such a long way. And now I am not too confident that Esther can do my fills in Puyallup since I ended up with 5!!! pokes for my unfil. 2 in the exam room, 2 under the fluoroscope (pretty cool) and then a final one my Dr Montgomery under the scope. Jeeze, talk about pincushion. Esther said it was good I had been in Everett since she probably would not have been able to find it in Puyallup. My port is a bit tilted, although Jessie and Audrey have done fine. Hmmmm.

After my first fill things were not that different. I had some restriction for about a week and then it seemed to be gone. Could eat pretty much anything. SO I called and got on the cancellation list for another fill. I ended up getting an appointment on the 18th and headed up there. It was a ghastly day and it took me an hour and a half to get up there from Tacoma and two and a half to get back. Needless to say, I was at work til 7 pm! I was feeling ok, and got a kids chicken meal at JITB thinking that I was starving. I managed to eat one of the strips. Thats it. One. It was enough, but in my mind I wanted more to eat. I had the rest at dinner time after work, but the real problem came when I took my pill at night. It is pretty big and it got STUCK. Cold chills, sweating, sitting on the potty. I had it all. I did NOT want to throw up and didn't feel I could take the anti nausea since I was pretty much blocked. THat lasted about 2 hours of yuck. I finally accomplished the mind over matter and went to sleep. When I called the office in the morning they pretty much confirmed that that is what happened. I was told that there is someone on call 24 hours and to always call if you feel something is wrong, and that sometimes, the only way through it is to bring it up. THey suggested drinking hot Water to help it disolve quicker or split the pill or try taking them with hot water all together. I have managed to get by the pill thing and just try to relax and take it. I will go back to the 2-50mg pills next week when I have insurance again. YEAH! SO I kept my appointment that I had for the 24th in case I needed to have an unfill or just needed some counseling. I tried to plan better during the week, but with TOM looming, I was STARVING on Tuesday and couldn't seem to get full. I tried to make better choices and got some chili and then some chicken salad rather than go for the cookie and chips. I was better on Wed. and then decided to make the trip to Everett on Thursday after all. I was concerned that I maybe had a leak since Audrey thought I was reading about 5.2 after she added 2cc's. It all didn't quite add up. I went up there and told Jessie what was going on and my concerns and we decided to have her try to pull what she could out and get a better measurement. She also added 2 more cc's, so by her measurements, I am now at 6 cc's after my third fill. WHAT A DIFFERENCE is an understatement. This must be what restriction is about. I have to concentrate hard on chewing. And my staple of tortilla does not pass well. I was even ok with dark bread, but I don't think that will be an option now. It is amazing what can fill you up. I still am having some liquid calories, but have made an effort to find the Tropicana SF lemonade vs the Minute Maid light. ONly 5 cals in the Tropicana and I actually prefer the taste. I have been sticking more steadfast to the Protein and veg rules and had gone down 6 lb since my 2nd fill the week before. I am at a total loss of 27 lb and am feeling good about myself. I am setting a new goal of an additional 40 lb down by Christmas. That would be fantastic! Now that you have read my novel, you will have to respond back with your status. Were you at the meeting earlier this month? I am planning on attending the St. Joseph meeting on the 1st Mon. in August.