HeatherA

Hiya! We just gather to give each other face to face support. Yesterday we talked about our weight issues and whether our families were heavy as we are/were. One member brought a terrific chocolate mint flavored Water for us to try (yummy!). The rest of the time we discussed things like fitting in airplane seats, things that have changed for us as we've lost weight and other issues that we've faced in our bandster journeys. After the meeting we shared the clothes we had brought that were too big for us. It's hard to describe, but the sense of being with others that share the same experience and forming friendships with them is just amazing! I hope you'll join us next month!

Hippiegirl, you were on all of our minds yesterday at the get together. I'm glad you checked in... we were starting to worry! Glad all is going well for you! Welcome to the band wagon :-)

*******SPECIAL NOTICE******** This month we're changing our location from Polaris to Tuttle Mall due to a bariatric fashion show that is being put on by Mt. Carmel Hospital's bariatric team. The fashion show will feature successful WLS patients as the models. This invitation is for anyone in Ohio that would like to join us! Whether you are pre-band, newly banded or an old band pro. Everyone is welcome! Look for the helium balloon to mark our group! Where: Tuttle Mall - (Inside the Macy's store entrance that faces Hayden Run Rd.) When: Saturday April 12, 2008 Time: 1:45 p.m. All you have to bring is your smile... but, if you want to, you are welcome to bring outgrown clothes to share with those that might need/want them as well as a "before" picture to add to our group photo album. I hope to see you there!!!!

Hi guys! Today's meeting was intimate but quite fun. We had about 5 of us and ended up hanging out for about 2.5 hours! LOL I'm only sorry that more of you weren't with us! Our next meeting is scheduled for April 12 same place, same time. I'll post the reminder message when I'm done here. Hope to see everyone there!!!

Yay!!!!!!!!!! See you guys in a little bit then :-)

My roads were plowed early this morning... I can get out of my neighborhood!!! WOO HOOO! I'm heading up to Polaris and will be there at 2pm in the same place we sat last month. Hope to see some of you there. I am so ready to get out of my house! I'm feeling very cooped up!!!

I started at Fresh Start last fall... I went in knowing a lot about the lapband and the possible complications (such as maybe not being able to tolerate breads/some meats) and I guess I didn't pick up on a lot of those kinds of things being said at the seminar. However, those are definitely true possibilities. Some people can tolerate them, some can't. You won't know until you are banded. The same can be said for GB patients also. They can't eat sugar in most forms which cuts out a lot food choices. They also have so many other complications just from the surgery itself. Ultimately you have to decide which is the best surgery for you. Which risks are worth taking for you. What type of work you are willing to put into this process to get yourself healthy. What long-term plans you have put in place to help you not gain the weight back once you hit the goal you set for yourself. I think Dr. Myers still may have a preference for GB... it's easier in the short run for people to drop the weight having that surgery. But if you go to him and say you want the lap-band I do not think he'd try to talk you out of it. Like I said before he's been super supportive of me and has done all he can do to assure that I'm successful with this tool. The others I know that have been banded by him all seem to feel the same way. He's like a rock star at our support group meetings. Everyone's excited to see him whether they've been banded or had GB. Personally for me, I had no doubts. I did NOT want my insides cut up and rearranged. I knew I'd be willing to do the work and I prepared myself for a slow and steady walk to the finish line. I wanted to do it in the most healthful way I could and not set myself up for issues with things like malnutrition. I also did not like the higher risk of death with GB and the percentage was significantly lower with LB. So I'm rambling now, but those are my thoughts! Good luck to you.

What a picture SpecialK!!! We have about 12 inches on our driveway (had) and we had just shoveled everything from yesterday last night, so that's what we got after bedtime. It's crazy... but we're shoveled out and I've been watching cars (mostly trucks and suvs) drive down three this afternoon. Luckily the snow seems to have stopped... now it's just blowing. We're just waiting for the plows to get out and clear the roads. Whoever can make it tomorrow, please try. It's funny to think that I had dreams of warmth when we scheduled this month's meeting last month... I was SURE it was going to be much nicer than it was then! LOL... anyway. Stay warm and safe!

It's just strange that it seemed to happen over night. LOL

I agree that we should postpone. I'm up for moving it to tomorrow if that works. We're under a blizzard warning until 4pm. I doubt the road crews will get anything done to the roads much before then. Also, Polaris is on a 2 hour delay... not even opening until noon. I'll be at the mall tomorrow (Sunday) at 2pm if anyone can make it to meet me.

Ok, this might seem weird but... my port and port scar seem to have moved. My scar is just below my bra band and the port was just below the scar. Well, this morning I noticed that my port is now above the scar rather than below it. I don't feel as if my stomach has shrunk that much... I just had a fill a few weeks ago (still have a bruise as proof!) so what could have caused them to trade places? Should I be worried?

I don't blame you if it's bad! I wouldn't go out either. I'm thinking positive thoughts and planning for tomorrow to be way better than today :-)

Looking out the window at my house on the edge of the Delaware county border it didn't look "as bad" as it is. We still had Patches of grass that you could see and my patio table had NOTHING on it. Well, we bundled up and took the dogs out and the snow was as deep as my boot in some areas. Crazy... we easily got about 4 inches and then it blew into larger drifts. Took my son, daughter and I to get everything shoveled. I'm sure we'll have more to do in the morning... but it was too pretty and too much fun to resist going out to play. LOL I really truly hope this is our last big snow of the season. I'm so over winter right now. I want warmth and the ability to spend time outside un-bundled! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that all is over come morning... hope to see you tomorrow!

Totally understandable! I will definitely post if it doesn't happen tomorrow and figure out when we will reschedule. At this point I'd say it's a maybe... I will most likely still go. I'm not too far from Polaris. The news just said that the worst of the snow should be over by 9am... I figure roads will be fine by 2pm if that's the case. I'll play like the school board and check the roads tomorrow and then post here around noonish.

Ohhhh sweety, that sucks so bad for you! :-( I'm crying with you... augh! When you go to Mt. Carmel, explain what's happened and perhaps they can get all of the information in your files transfered over from Barics and save you some time with the testing etc... it might not be as bad as you think it is right now. {{{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}}}

Yes, we should definitely reschedule it if tomorrow doesn't happen. I'm so hoping it does, I am really looking forward to it! Wonder if we could re-schedule for Sunday? I know it's not... I was just trying to space it out enough from the Fashion show on the 7th.... of course I'd love to meet each week so I'm pretty open. I unfortunately can't do it next weekend because I'll be in Nashville. I can do it on Sunday of this week though... if tomorrow doesn't work out.

Ok, after this month's meeting I'll post a message with the date for next month's meeting. I'm really hoping this snow stops before tomorrow... AUGH!

Can you edit the title of this post? Maybe make it refer to the fashion show that those interested would know it's a special event... not just our normal meeting? Do you know what time the fashion show is? Maybe we can arrange to meet an hour earlier or something so we can all get seats together?

Like Special K said... I think the surgeons have more experience with GB and lean toward them because of that. I also think that they know how much work goes along with being successful with the band and that it's not as "easy" to lose weight with it. However, I was banded by Dr. Myers and he's been wonderful and supportive and really seems to be excited by the results his banded patients have had. I've not seen any resistance to it, though I know that he does tend to evaluate each patient and advise in some cases that the band might not be the right choice. Good luck to you in whatever you choose!

JowJow, you're doing great and will keep doing great. Sounds like you are on the right track. It's hard when we compare ourselves to others because we are all so different and we all come at this from different angles with different metabolisms and different life factors. Stay the course!!!!!

I'm going to hold off deciding anything until tomorrow because this could end over night or early tomorrow morning and the roads might be fine. No one knows what this system is going to do... all I know is that I hope it's the LAST one... I'm so sick of this weather. P.S. If it does get canceled tomorrow I was thinking we should re-schedule it for another weekend this month. Maybe the Saturday of Easter weekend?

My goal for March is to lose 6.7 pounds bringing me to 240. My overall mini-goal for the spring is to lose 26.7 by June 1st when my daughter graduates HS. I'd love to be 220 for her last major school event.

As of right now our get together is still planned for tomorrow... weather permitting. Let's hope the roads are clear by 2pm tomorrow! I'm looking forward to seeing everyone!

April 7th is a Monday... it might be hard for most to meet at that time due to work schedules. Maybe we should strive for two meetings in April... one on the 7th for the fashion show and another 19th (Saturday) at our regular time. What do you think of that?

That's amazing! Congratulations!!!!