BrantS1976

Thanks! Congrats to you on the awesome weight loss carolinagirl!

as long as you try and do the best you can (and def follow your dr's instructions for best results) you will do just fine...be realistic...be open minded and understand its a day in and day out process...its not overnight quick/easy fix....you are very attractive right this moment and i know that the person is a scared female whose past dieting attempts has made her doubt herself......i know as that was me also 19 months ago.... you will eat good/healthy foods exercise and you will lose weight.....let the band (or any WLS) help you... you just help yourself.....you can do this.... krps0930, I just want to echo something that carolinagirl said. Looking at your profile picture you are an attractive woman and have a lot to look forward to. I know it's hard looking in the mirror sometimes, I struggled with that and said negative things about myself, but you need to focus on the positive and appreciate yourself and the good things you are doing for yourself. I hated looking at myself in pictures, but when we took family pictures for Christmas I had lost about 50 pounds and was finally starting to like what I saw again. I am sure you will have a similar experience as you take this journey.

It is an emotional journey. I'm man enough to admit that this whole process has made me cry at times. You're not losing it, it's totally normal. It's not a small decision or one you make lightly, but it is a great decision for you future and your health.

Hi Misty! Doing good. Halfway to my goal weight, but I know second half will take longer. Glad to hear the kids are doing well. Sorry to hear about the setback, but keep your head up and you will be there soon enough.

I hear you, when I had my pre-op labs done I felt like i'd fallen victim to the vampire Lestat (sorry kids, refuse to make a Twilight reference). I think there were nine vials. Thought it would never end.

I'm surprised none of my primary care physicians never suggested it to me. Especially 6 years ago when I tipped the scales at 412 pounds.

Welcome!

Well, we are all here to support each other. I just had surgery in October and have lost 74 pounds. I was also afraid I would fail as I have lost 100 pounds twice in my life. The truth is that weight loss surgery is the tool you were missing in all your other attempts at losing weight. It is so much easier to be disciplined when you don't feel hungry all the time, can't eat as much and see quick results. All of those factors will help you succeed and keep you on track. Also, there is a shift in thinking that comes with this surgery. This is a "permanent" decision, not just "hey I think I'll diet for a month and see what happens." Take a deep breath, step back from the ledge and count the days until you take the first step to a healthier and happier you. In the meantime feel free to drop me a line if feeling overwhelmed. We are all here to support each other. You can feel safe sharing your thoughts and fears about WLS here. Everyone is in the same boat and at different stages of the voyage.

I've told pretty much everyone and the response has been universally supportive. For those worried about haters, they're really not out there and if you do find one, odds are you would do well to cross them off your list. Both my immediate boss and our Managing Director know about it and have been super supportive. I find their support helps keep me motivated, the other thing I believe is that the more people you tell, the more accountable you are because if you start slipping up, everyone will know as it is not a secret. Bottom line is that I am proud I finally did something for my health and to be here for my family. I see no need to hide that.

That is exactly how I feel. Exactly. I try every night to wear it and can't. As for a letter of compliance, they haven't asked for one yet and if they do they aren't getting it. I sleep worse with it. Mines also on 14. I can't do it. It smothers me and I gasp and gulp air in when I finally rip it off. I was never asked for a compliance letter, although i fully comply as I don't sleep well without it. For those that do need compliance letters, I believe it is a matter of them reading the data off your memory card. Theoretically if you found a friend who had the same machine and slipped them your card for awhile you could get the necessary data for compliance. Just a thought...

One of my best friends tried addressing my rising weight in my early 20's and was the only friend who did. I appreciate his honesty, and he is still my best friend to this day, but I wasn't ready to deal with it back then unfortunately.

Congrats on the surgery and weight loss. I had Plication in October 2013. There was little pain, but a lot of nausea for the first couple days and I was fine after. Lets stay in touch and if you have any questions feel free to drop me a line as there are a much smaller number of us that had the plication surgery. I had it here in the US, but also considered Dr. Ortiz.

The clinical trial just involves a bit more frequent follow up (once a month first year) and I fill out a few questionnaires each time I go in about attitude towards food and how my weight affects my life and they use those to track some of the changes. so only differences are only a little more paperwork and some additional aftercare, which I actually thought was a plus.

Just wanted to introduce myself. My name is Brant and I had the plication surgery on October 24th and have lost 69 pounds. I had the surgery here in Washington as part of a clinical trial. Upon doing my research on the different procedures it interested me as you do not have the potential for a leaking staple line like the VSG. I know that complication is highly uncommon, but the idea of having my stomach held closed with staples was a bit disconcerting. The clincher was that my insurance would not cover any procedure, so I was going to be private pay, and plication was almost $6k less as the after care was included for participating in the study. I look forward to seeing what everyone else has to share as we all go through this journey together. In just under four months this process has already significantly changed my life and my only regret is that I did not do it sooner.

Two days later.

I would consult with your doctor and/or nutritionist to confirm you are getting enough calories, etc. considering the amount of exercise. While we always have to be wary of temptation, our bodies also have ways of telling us when we are missing something. I kept craving salty stuff (more that usual) and my most recent blood work showed my sodium levels were low. So, the doctor changed my blood pressure medicine (cut the ACE inhibitor in half and got rid of the diuretic) and now my levels are looking better. As an added benefit I'm not looking for a salt lick like a deer that's about to get taken out by a hunter LOL.

You could do that as well, but its not quite the same combination of flavors that you get in some rolls.

Thanks everyone for the support!

I actually didn't have a food funeral. It took me over a year from the time I started looking into WLS until I finally decided to go ahead with it, and I think by then I was just ready to get on with it. Shockingly I don't miss most of the really bad stuff I used to eat (cheesesteaks, pizza, etc.) and it has been easier than I anticipated so far. Not passing judgement on anyone who wants to have their "last supper." I totally get the idea and originally thought I would do something similar, but it honestly just slipped my mind.

Hi Misty. Just wanted to say hello and see how you and your kids are doing. I hope all is going well. Thinking positive thoughts for you.

The iPhone app isn't much better either. It's nice to be able to follow topics on the go, but you miss a lot of the site if you only use one of the apps I think.

My understanding is that this procedure has been used in Iran and other parts of the world for 15 to 20 years at least.

Eating in that manner would be a way of eating around any of the restrictive surgeries (lap band, sleeve or plication). One of the malabsorptive procedures like gastric bypass of the duodenal switch may have shown better results. In the end WLS is a tool to help us lose weight and we still have to do the hard work of diet, exercise, and following the rules the surgeons gave us. Glad to hear you are trying again with smaller meals three times a day. Best of luck to you!

Awesome news. Keep up the good work and I will be thinking positive thoughts for you on the 30th.

Darren #1 was more sarcastic and played well with the mortal/witch conflict between the two of them. The second lent himself well to the role of a father as the children were more a part of the series at that point. I think it was one of the rare shows where recasting a main character mid show didn't kill the series.