Ang1982

Thanks Paulax! I am sooo very excited. This month has been... fantastic for me... getting my surgery date scheduled, spending an amazing Christmas with my family.... and getting engaged!! At the great year this has been (I'm writing this on New Years eve) I can't even imagine what next year will be like with starting my journey so early into it! I love Dr.Woodhead.. as Doddie said, he's very non judgemental and very caring. He puts you at ease within moments of meeting him. I cannot wait to update everyone with my journey and experiences with him, so far... I give a glowing review! HAPPY NEW YEARS AND HERE'S TO BANDLAND IN 2008!! WHOOHOOOO :clap2::scared::whoo::mad:

I'm so sorry you are having such a hard time with your family *big hug*. Is there a neighbour you would trust to watch them? Or what about getting a babysitter? Sounds like your son is around the age where he could almost be a babysitter himself? Hope you get things sorted out! Don't let your family stop you, you are doing this for you. Good luck!

Thanks Doddie! You've been such a great source of information and support for me! I am really looking forward to being on the other side of the "Band fence" with you in the new year

An update for myself - I have actually chosen to go with Dr.Woodhead in Delta. Self Pay $14,000.00 +initial consult fee of $400.00. Had my consult in November but had to wait to have my surgery as I was recovering from a tonsilectomy. I am scheduled for my band Jan 23. The $14,000.00 fee includes lifetime fill care.

Absolutely awesome!!

Dec 31- Chrisann (honorary member of the Jan 08 bandsters) Jan 1- HAPPY NEW YEARS! Starting the year off right! Jan 2- phowell, Megmarie21, Gingerbug(Victoria) Jan 3-WOWOX7, Woodsy Jan 4- KUgirl, steviegene Jan 5 Jan 6 Jan 7- CallmeJim, comepickmeup, NukeChik, mamato3, kintime, Shell Jan 8 - Fat&thrifty(and husband) Jan 9 – Redtulips3, FLMan Jan 10- luvsrocks, Hilary, Jen25bl, jtag10_4 Jan 11- brez1015 Jan 12 Jan 13 Jan 14- CoreynVA, acalpn, srbanker(Suzanne) Jan 15 Jan 16 Kathy-CA Jan 17- SJK, Alfie, L.A., lwood Jan 18- RuthE? Jan 19 Jan 20 Jan 21- Jan 22 Jan 23- min, Ang1982 (Angela) Jan 24 Jan 25 Jan 26 Jan 27 Jan 28-kawanabear(Kalonda) Jan 29 Jan 30 - PortuguesePrincess(Stephanie),Amberwaves(Amber) Jan 31

Thanks!! I actually looked for that thread but tired ol'me couldn't find it lol. I'm very excited

Tentatively scheduled date!! They will confirm with me once they have booked the OR, etc. But it's looking like I will be good to go for then. I am sooooo excited

That I will be joining you fantastic people with a January band!!!! I had my follow up appointment, signed my surgical consent forms and got my date this afternoon. It is "tentatively" scheduled for Jan 23, 2008. By tentatively I mean that's the date they have booked me they just need to confirm OR, etc. SOOO EXCITED!!!!:clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2:

*BIG HUG* you are most definitely not a bad daughter. You shouldn't be so hard on yourself. You yourself did say that you want them to be healthier. Sounds like they are pretty big people - would Lapband be the best option for them as opposed to something like Gastric Bypass? Do you think they are ready for the change that it takes to be sucessful with the band? Besides having seen you be awesomely successful with it - do they know the ins and outs? Be proud of what you have accomplished, give yourself a pat on the back. Try not to focus on all the crap they have handed you over the years but to focus on where you said "I want them to be healthier and live longer" and try to be there as much as you can for them even though they may not have been for you. Everyone has to start somewhere And even though they may not say it - they are obviously proud of you. *HUG*

Regardless of the reason you should be in the number one spot because you are a true example of how we all can't wait to be.

I agree with Steph. Licking your fingers is not the same as eating a whole piece of cake girlie! You are well on your way!

You look beautiful and look at that happy glow you have!

I haven't had my band yet but will be curious to see how I feel as I am mainly a stomach / stomach-side sleeper. I am a very still sleeper (DB actually woke me up once because I was so still he thought I was dead or something LOL). It took me a long time to be able to learn to sleep on my back and what finally got me that way was when I had my breast reduction about 6 years ago. I find now though that when I sleep on my back when I wake up in the morning I do not feel rested. Not sure why. So I try to not fall asleep on my back as I will likely stay in that same spot until my alarm the next morning and end up with a very unrestful sleep.

I originally thought I had "last supper syndrome" as well. But now I'm not sure. I made a post about this a couple weeks back I believe it was. I don't have my date yet (hoping to find out when I go to my appt this Thursday, fingers crossed) and I am definitely eating anything and everything in sight as well. Work is especially bad this time of year as I work at a Manufacturing company and our suppliers bring goodies and cookies and chocolates by the truckloads. I think I've realized that it's not "I have to eat this now because I will never eat it again" syndrome but more of a "I can eat this now because what does it matter I'm going to be having a Lapband soon anyways" syndrome. WHICH IS BAD! Did anyone have that syndrome? Over the holidays I will be away at familys but I've decided as soon as I get back I'm starting a slimfast shake two meals a day and lean cuisine and salad or something for dinner until I have my surgery. Even if my date's not for another month and a half. I already have one slimfast for breakie - blend vanilla powder, skim milk, vanilla extract and some berries up in my Miracle Blender (same deal as Magic Bullett blender but cheaper) and drink it on my drive to work. I need to give myself a good swift kick in the arse and screw my head on straight!:help:

Best of luck, and for those of you on Medifast preop diets.. *HUG* I tried that once to lose weight... that stuff is HORRID. I did lose about 25 lbs in a month but I couldn't stand it anymore kicked it to the curb, gained my 25 lbs back and 20 lbs of revenge. Good luck! Best wishes for speedy recoveries!

Here-ye, here-ye!!!! :clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2:

When I had my consult with my surgeon back in November I asked him why BC medical didn't cover the Lapband procedure but covered the Gastric Bypass. His answer was interesting and I cannot recall everything he told me but what he did tell me made sense. He said that like any elective surgery there is a budget that is allotted and that covering a surgery such as this will end up with only a few a year being able to be done and huge weightlists (currently like Gastric). He also said that this type of surgery would be obviously then paid to him by the govt (or something like that) and that while it's not all about the money that it's not worth their while to take on a surgery that REQUIRES immense amounts of aftercare and that you don't want any joe-blow doing them and not committing to providing the required aftercare. He said it would be more profitable for him to do govt paid gallbladder surgeries and not do any Lapband not to mention he would then not be required to do a lot of post op. He choses to these surgeries and regulate how many he does to provide his patients with the best follow up that he can (he does NOT charge HIS patients for fills at all). I am probably leaving out a lot of what he told me as it was almost a month ago, but when he said it I was like - that makes COMPLETE sense.

I'm sure your mom was not trying to offend you or upset you. Is she a "normal" perhaps she doesn't even realize what sizes Lane Bryant goes to and that you would be out of them soon. I dont think the "normals" know what sizes places like LB work in so maybe she innocently thought that would do you for a while. I'd do what the other ladies were suggesting - it sounds ilke it was quite the generous gift card so you can use bits of it to update your wardrobe now and then perhaps if it is transferable to a place like Victorias Secret, when you drop even more weight you can use it up at a place like that! And congrats on your progress so far I cant wait for that day

Aww, congrats! What a beautiful little baby and a beautiful family!

Yah Ive been thinking about that, just haven't gotten around to making a Doctors appointment with my Dr yet to see what they have to say / get any required referrals. Will probably book one for early into the New Year.

My OCD'ness I have been doing for years - since I was in high school so we are easily looking at around 10 years.. I always thought it was strange I would try to force myself to not do it but I couldn't help it and how bizaare it was. Until this past year when I actually started to do some research on the internet about it - and who would of thought its a full blown disorder.... May I introduce to you... Trichotillomania... aka " "trich" as it is commonly known, is an impulse control disorder characterized by the repeated urge to pull out scalp hair, eyelashes, facial hair, nose hair, pubic hair, eyebrows or other body hair, resulting in noticeable bald Patches." (thank you wikipedia for the brief summary). That's right folks I pull my eyelashes and my eyebrows out. Not to the extent where I am bald of lashes and brows but I definitely get bare spots in both sometimes and it's TERRIBLE. And the worse part is - I CANT STOP. It's so subconscious that I don't even realize I am doing it until it is too late. It makes me ugly and I can't stop. I've not told my doctor yet as I'm sure I'll end up getting referred to a psychiatrist or something of the sort - so far they aren't sure why people do this, and it can't be cured but it can be medicated with OCD medications but do I really want to be medicated? If anyone is curious about what this is - this is an interesting article which is very similar to my "story". Psychology Today: Hair Pulling: A Baffling Disorder

Eek, I hope I dont have to do those! I had my tonsils out in November and for day 3-5 (the most painful days) on top of the regular painkillers they gave me they also gave me some suppository painkillers. Well needless to say I put my big girl panties on, sucked it up and dealt with the pain cuz there was NO WAY I (or the bf) would be stickin it up there.

Ahhh gotcha, thanks everyone!

That's a good idea and one i'll have to remember for the future... Reminds me of a little unrelated story about how absolutely nucking futs some people are. Quite a few years ago when I worked at Penningtons (one of the FEW plus size stores in Canada) a lady came in with no receipt to return a pair of jeans she "supposedly" just bought only a couple of weeks ago because they were "crappily sewn and falling apart", she had no receipt and she wanted her money back. Well let me tell you - these jeans were not "slightly worn 1 week old jeans", they were faded, bagged out looking and the "falling apart" she was refering to was that the thighs had holes worn through (I'm sure all you ladies know how that happens with jeans, pisses me off when it happens to mine personally) and I was like uhh these are not just recently bought and she went OFF on me and demanded the manager... retarded I tell ya. /end mini unrelated thread, no intention of hijacking. Said it before, those jeans are awesome you look great.