JustWatchMe

Great list!

Wow, wonderful posts from everyone. @@gowalking, I understand the flash of disgust and catching yourself. I've done it too, even at my high weight. I think we always actively fight that impulse that comes with our judgmental society. I've started to get comments and questions from coworkers a lot now. Some I have told about my band, some not. I tend to steer the conversation toward health and longevity. Nobody questions the desire to be healthier.

Good reminder about caloric values. Even when it's only "once in a while".

It's hard, but gets easier at day three. It's so worth it. Good luck.

Good for you and for all of us for speaking up for our needs, no matter how others choose to respond. As time goes by and WLS gets more attention as the lifesaver it is, those stares and curious looks may lessen. But no matter. We are saving our lives and that's what is important.

Name, real or screen~ JustWatchMe Goal weight for August 31st~ 215 Weight on August 4th~ 220.4 Age~ 53 City/State~ Chicagoland Dietary goal for August~ more protein and fewer carbs Exercise goal for August~ walk daily Personal goal for August~ seek a hobby Date banded~ March 13, 2014 Total weight loss since banding/pre op diet~ 81 Favorite End of Summer Activity~ Walks in nature

Thanks Lisa -- it's fun and appreciated!!!

Congratulations!

I just posted about hair loss as well. I know for a fact it's not due to extreme weight loss because I did that once without WLS and didn't lose any hair.

Thanks, Debbie.

I had to make major changes in my life -- marriage and body. When my fearful self said I'd never do it, my courageous self said, "Just watch me!"

Good luck to you. Gastric bypass patients lose weight so quickly that the suggestions made above about asking for WLS first sound very reasonable. I'm a bander but I know my knee issues got amazingly better after I dropped 50 pounds. I walked all over Italy without pain meds or NSAIDs. At 80 pounds down I'm a walking maniac. Best wishes whatever you decide.

Beautiful! Congratulations !!

@@twistedbarbieLA, kudos to you for starting over. I'm only four and a half months out and dancing around the green zone. I sometimes overeat (go too fast) but for the most part I have little interest in food between meals unless it's emotional. This band is definitely performing a physical magic trick on my appetite and it's a godsend.

I'm divorcing and will soon have to change from my husband's excellent BCBS PPO insurance to my own company's plan. They offer a decent (so I'm told by coworkers) BCBS H M O and a pricey BCBS PPO. I haven't shopped for insurance in decades. If I go with the PPO I can keep my primary care physician, my dermatologist and my band doctor. If I go with the H M O I have to switch bariatric teams. I'm still looking into the options and providers but I do know that I definitely want an office with fluoroscopy like I have now. It's also a Bariatric Center of Excellence which is important to me. This change will likely happen in January if my husband is able to drop me from his plan during open enrollment. Not sure if it will happen then or later when the divorce is finalized, date unknown. My question is, for those of you who have changed doctors with LapBand within the first year, what advice do you have for me? I'm happy with my team but the only thing I dislike is the distance from work. The fills are hard to schedule because I can't get them after 4:30pm and it takes an hour to get there. Otherwise I am very happy. But to have a high monthly payroll premium deduction for the PPO is a big hit now as I'm starting over with two girls in private college. I'm in the near west Chicago suburbs (DuPage). Anybody love their WLS doctor in this area? Edited because bariatric pal didn't like the H M O abbreviation. .

Today I rode a horse and it was awesome! I then rode in a paddleboat. As my daughter said, "Mom, just get in. You're skinny now -- live your life!"

Carolinagirl is such an inspiration to me. Thanks for all your support!

I wonder if households without overeaters lock up food. I know for all my life, starting as a teen, whenever I bought treats, even for the family, I would buy two. One for me and one for them. I couldn't bear to share and take the risk that my stash might get wiped out. I always felt ashamed of that.

Wow, I thought my family of origin was the only one that had food locked up. When my brother and I became teenagers, my dad also had a cabinet in the basement with a padlock that contained shampoo. Why? My brother showered at least twice a day and used it by the gallon.

218.4 July final.

Thanks, everyone. I'm taking my daughters on a weekend getaway this weekend that we all need. Our summer has been way too stressful and it's time to decompress before they head back to college. Some hiking and horseback riding and shopping and pampering are in order. Maybe I'll get my hair styled in the resort salon. My younger daughter always wants me to have it straightened. Thanks for the emotional boost. Love this board.

I know it's normal. I know it will grow back. I know it's not that noticeable except to me because I have such thick hair to begin with. But it sucks, it's scary, and it makes me sad. At three months post banding my hair began to come out and at four months it's coming out by the handful. I disagree with people who blame it on Protein. I get my protein every day and always have. Carnivore here. I also disagree with the losing weight too quickly theory. My loss rate isn't fast enough to cause hair loss. I tend to believe that it is indeed the hair follicles' reaction to surgery and/or anesthesia. But, whatever the cause, it unnerves me. I tend to take after my mother medically. I developed arthritis at the same age she did. She lost her hair twice after reacting to going off and on a certain rheumatoid arthritis drug. The second time it never grew back. She used to have thick, full hair like me. Now she is bald and even lost her eyebrows. Two years later she has no sign of regrowth. So I wonder if my hair will come back. I don't take the same arthritis drug she does, but the worry is there. Anyway, just feeling a little down about it today. On the plus side, I had a few inches of length trimmed off a couple of weeks ago, and the shorter style combined with the thinning hair makes for a cooler summer "do".

Exercise helps. I started a walking regimen the day after surgery. I was sore at my port but returned to work Monday after a Thursday outpatient surgery. The gas pains took four or five days to subside. Karate chops on the shoulder blades helped. Enlist someone to do that for you. Good luck.

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I'm so sad my arthritis won't let me ride without pain. My right knee can't handle the up bend. . I last tried about thirty pounds ago.