chichigirl

Mine is a girl and I am going to call her LB. Not for Lap Band, but after a very special cocker spaniel who saved my life, Laura Beth. In loving memory of her and all she did for me. I miss her, so maybe this will help me feel that she is always within me. Cindy

I couldn't agree with you more!!! It's had the same effect on me!!! I don't know what I would do without everyone hear! Cindy

Hey, that's so great!!!! I am so happy for you!!! What a great birthday gift!!! You truly are blessed, that was quick. You will be so very happy with your band, I just know it, I haven't heard anyone who wasn't. Enjoy this next month preparing for your surgery. Start thinking healthy eating and go ahead and splurge one last time, everyone, or just about everyone, does!! And be guilt free about it. Good luck and best wishes for a successful surgery and speedy recovery. Cindy

Congrats on the weight loss!!!! That's an incredible accomplishment and you should be proud!! Thanks for sharing such great news with us!! I am also glad to see that you are starting to listen to some the wonderful advice that has been give to you on your other thread. I know you realize that everyone is well intentioned and very worried about you. They all care or they just wouldn't bother. I also realize that you must be going through an enourmous amount of stress if you have had to move into a camper to live, and just when the weather is starting to get cold, if it isn't already cold there. I wouldn't really know, I'm in not so sunny Florida, it's raining but hot. As another person who is someone who always puts others needs ahead of her own, remember the best gift you can give those your love is being around as long as possible and as healthy as possible. I know you heard that before, but it's true. The world would be a much sadder place without people like you and all of us here at LBT in it. All of us have our emotional issues where weight loss is concerned, I know I sure do. I wish you well on resolving those issues and hope you can find peace in your life, you deserve it. Keep up the good work on losing weight, remember, we are all routing for you. You are in my thoughts and prayers. Good luck to you on all that you want. Cindy

WOW!!!!! What an incredible weight loss!!!! You have every right to be proud and you should Celebrate. Like have long, big tall glass of bottled water:-] Wouldn't want you to stop the momentum you have going, hope it's contagious. I am so thrilled for you and I bet you do lose the other 5 lbs in the time frame you wanted, but I am so impressed with your attitude. You are so absolutely right on with the attitude that you will be happy even if that doesn't happen. You have already achieved such a major, major accomplisment, I hope you're floating on cloud 9. I would love it if we could all share in you're way of thinking and not put down ourselves for not having done enough. Your attitude is by far healthier and will get you further than a negative one would. Thank you for sharing and inspiring us all. Good luck with the port issue, I have also heard of people with a flipped port still being able to get their fills and I certainly will pray that this be the case for you as well. (((((HUGS)))))) Cindy

Congrats on the weight loss. I am relatively new to this sight, so I wasn't reading posts when you were here before. I am glad you came back and have shared your story with us. It's important that we listen to everyone, even if they unintentionally hurt our feelings. I am suppperrrr sensitive and there have been times, reading other peoples posts that I got my feelings hurt, and they were not even talking to me!!! Yeah, I'm a bit strange, lol:-] I think you're very brave to come back and share with us. And I truly agree with Rene in the response to your not having gained any of the weight back is absolutely wonderful!!!! That's a major accomplishment and never, ever put it down as nothing. Maintaining the weight loss is what it's all about. We have all lost weight before, but most of us can't say we were able to maintain, I know I couldn't. And as for the person who 'yelled' at you, although I'm sure they were well intended, didn't recognize what a very personal journey this is for each and every one of us. Yes we need support, and yes we need others help and yes I love having everyone here to talk to, but my journey is a very personal and indiviualized one that only I can understand at it's deepest roots. So hold your head high, celebrate your fantastic accomplishments and I hope to see you posting more. You can never have too many friends. Cindy

That's a new one for me. I haven't heard of anyone with this kind of problem before. You say you had the band replaced after an earlier slippage and that you have another one now? Something doesn't sound right, are they suturing it into place? I am just curious why yours keeps slipping. Are you having any PB's or vomitting? You say that you're having an acid reflux issue, but with food staying your pouch too long, might be the reason. Are you by any chance a diabetic? Just curious because I am and a few years ago I was having unexplained nausea so they did a stomach emptying test on me!!! YYYYUUUUUCCCCKKKK! They gave me some really poorly cooked eggs and then took x-rays every so many minutes to follow the eggs going through my stomach, the eggs had a dye in it. The results, my stomach emptied 75% faster than normal. Think that might have had something to do with my weight issue? Don't tell the docs, they still don't care. Anyway they had told me that sometimes diabetics have stomach emptying problems. With me it turned out to be my gallbladder, which I had removed a few weeks later. Have you been able to continue to lose weight? Are there any kinds of foods you can't eat at all? Just wondering. I hope you feel better really soon and I hope they find out what's going on with you. Good Luck, Take Care Cindy

Thanks to all of you, you are all so awesome and supportive. I am addicted to this board and since I discovered it, I have really, really turned by head around and am improving day by day with my diet and exercise. You all inspire me and hopefully I can return the favor. I love all of you!!! Cindy

Well, it finally happened, I have my first NSV to post and for me it's a big one: I went to the doctor today for my usual check up. For the first time in over two years my blood pressure was normal 100/70! And that's after I had cut the prescription down from 100mg twice a day to 50mg once a day, that was the cardiologists orders. I can't believe in this short of time, 2 months, that I have had that kind of reaction in my body. Also I went from 30U Humolog(Insulin) three times a day down to 10U three times a day!! I am so encouraged and I just wanted to share this with all of my friends her. Cindy

Do you know if they did a fill? They usually don't as far as I know, but each doc is different. I am supposing that you did not get a fill and after three weeks most of the swelling and inflammation of the stoma(where the band goes around stomach) which might mean that your intake of calories has increased without your realizing it. Are you hungry more often? Probably so, that's normal. If you did get a fill, then you may be experiencing several things, if exercising you could be gaining lean muscle mass, and muscle weighs more than fat. Or your body is simply readjusting and there is a temporary stall in weight loss, it happens sooner or later to all of us. Are you following the protein first, then veggies, then good carbs rule for eating? If not you may want to adjust your menu. Sorry, I can't think of anything else, unless of course it's that time of the month and you are having a water retention problem. Good luck, hang in there, the scale will eventually move! Cindy

I'm so glad for you!!! This is both an exciting time and an anxious time as well. Try to focus on the exciting part and forget about the insurance, as much as you can, and the time will fly by! By the way, which insurance company are you using? Did you ask the docs office if they were approving or not? They usually know. I'll keep good thoughts coming your way that they approve it and send it back very quickly so you don't have to worry:-] Cindy

Congrats and good luck. Hope your recovery is speedy and pain free!!! Keep us posted. Oh, and an early welcome to the land of the banded. Cindy

I'm no doctor, but I am a diabetic, and you sound like you're getting hypoglycemic, low blood sugar. Can you have some kind of juice or regular popsicles? Anything liquid with sugar, not a ton of sugar, but enough to help you until Monday. I also would call the docs tomorrow and ask if you can start mushies a little early or if you can have some regular Soup if you put through the blender. You don't want to be passing out in the classroom with those children. Good luck, hope you feel better soon. Sorry I can't help a whole lot. Cindy

I've had my port and band since 2/2002, no problems ever, just an overfill once, but that's it. Could it be you banged against something without realizing it. I don't mean to insinuate that you're clumsy or anything, but sometimes we bump into or bang something like a door against ourselves and don't give it a second thought. The fact that it is not red is a good sign. What about heat? When you touch the area is it warmer over the port than the area surrounding the port? Heat is also a sign of infection. Also you may want to check your temperature, if you have an infection, there may be a low grade fever. If it doesn't get any better really soon, I would call the doctor. You don't want to take any chances. Hope you feel better real soon. Cindy

It is so worth it, you won't be sorry. If you ever have questions or need advice this board is great for helping everyone out. Lots of experience banders on this sight, have you looked at the before and after pictures? Talk about inspiring, wow! As far as the health benefits alone are well worth it, trust me I know, I no longer need insulin for my diabetes and the doctor cut my blood pressure meds to 1/4!!! And that's after only two months. I was banded in 2002, lost 120 lbs, had the fill removed, on purpose, and gained all of my weight back. But that was my doing, long story, but now that I have resolved my issues, I still have the band and boy am I glad. Went back in August, had a fill, been loosing weight ever since! It's wonderful and amazing. I wish you good luck with your surgery and very speed recovery. Keep us posted. Cindy

Well, good luck to both of you ladies and I wish you a speedy recovery. All doctors do things differently, but mine was pretty simple. I had the surgery on a Monday morning, that afternoon I came to in my room and was still a little woozy from the anesthesia, but was okay. It wasn't until I got out of bed to go to the bathroom, that I realized that I had a big ouch!!! It was just where they put my port in on the left side, about midway down. Now my doc put the port in under the muscle at the same time he put in the band and tubing. I have heard that some people have the ports put in from on top of the skin, meaning they have an area where they cut into the skin, put the port in and then close the wound. It's the doc's call on that one. From the point of realizing that I was sore only when I stood up or sat down, I pretty much stayed in the chair and watched TV. No pain meds, didn't need any. Went home the next morning and I went back to work that Thursday, but the doc was a little miffed with me for going back to work so soon. In addition to getting GasX, some people really have a lot of gas pain after the surgery, I have also heard people say to bring a pillow with you to hold on your stomach for the ride home, it helps cushion you if you have any bumps in the road. For me that was about it, no big deal to this day. Hope this answers some of your questions! Cindy

Congrats on the date, now you better get moving loosing the rest of the 10 lbs. My doctor actually refused to do a surgery on a woman because she had not lost enough weight. She had only lost 3 lbs and he told that wasn't enough, so he literally sent her home. The funny thing, she was a doctor as well. I don't know if that anything to do with his decision, but when I found out, you bet I lost 25 lbs before my surgery, I didn't take any chances. It was too important to me and I know for you as well. Good Luck and Speedy Recovery Keep us posted. Cindy

Sadly there is no law against obesity prejudice like there is for just about everything else, age, race, religion, etc. I can totally relate, as I have been without work since March. It scares me to death as I live alone, have no rich relatives or friends and my unemployment runs out soon. I have been so paranoid about the weight issue, that I have even asked people before I went to the interviews if this would be a problem. They always say no, as long as you can do the job, we don't care. Then I get there and there is not one fat person there and they all look at me as if I'm in the wrong place. I have a good education, lots of experience, great references but none of that matters. So sorry to hear you are having trouble too. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers and hopefully, someone will recognize how wonderful you are and you'll get a job soon. Good Luck! Cindy

Kare is absolutely right. Friends support you, they don't sabotage you, you know that, and if you don't you should. My goodness, why are you making it so hard on yourself. That's right why are you making it so hard on yourself? HMMMMMMM? Are you afraid of her, is she a superior to you? What's the deal? You tell everyone how much she has attacked you with food and coke and candy and everything else, then you call her friend? I do not get it. Maybe because I have had enough Erin's in my life, I have learned to recognize the wolf in sheep's clothing, and it's time you did too. You do not deserve to be treated like that and personally, I want to punch her damn lights out and really tell her off!!!! How dare she hurt someone who is vulnerable and has even admitted so to her. I think you are a fun, caring, very likable young lady who has accomplished so much in her life, but it's sad you don't see it that way. I wish you would. What she is doing is downright abusive, there is no way around it. Quit being her punching bag. Congrats on the two coke free days, I know it's hard but you're made of tougher stuff than that. Cindy

My diabetes is type II - weight related with a familial history. I know that by exercising and loosing the weight it won't be long before I am of insulin altogether, so be looking for more NSV's from me!!! Thanks for the words of encouragement!!! Cindy

WTG!!! Wow and that was really fast, you go girl!!! How thrilling. I too just posted my first NSV today and it is so exciting to have all of these positive things happening to us. It's like what we hoped and dreamed for, right? Congrats and keep up the great work!!! Cindy:Bunny

You can also use that chocolate dip for other fruits, like strawberries, mmmmmm. Just let your healthy imaginations go wild. Cherries when they're in season would be so decadent too. Well, before I figure out how to dip my chihuahua and nibble on her, I'd better stop now. Cindy

That's wonderful, you all have to go through a pretty exasperating journey with the insurance companies, the requirements and on and on, but you never gave up and here you are Banded for Life. You now have the most valuble tool in weight loss history. Put that together with your patience, tenacity and perserverence and you can't fail!!!! And you have the best support group in the entire world right here LBT!!!! Congrats! Wishing you a speedy recovery! Cindy

That's great, so glad after all of your fighting you had to go through with the insurance, that everything is finally set!!! I know you are going to be very happy with the band and will do very well!!! Cindy

The last idea may be childish, but it's still funny, OMGRFLAO!!!! But seriously, I was thinking along similar lines, she does everything she can to sabotage you, and I am convinced she is quite intentional in doing so. I can't stand people like that. She's obviously jealous of your weight loss and instead of trying to lose weight herself, it's easier for her to try to make you fat again. DON'T LET HER WIN, SHE'S NOT WORTH IT!!!!!!!!!!!!! You know the old saying, fight fire with fire. Well that's exactly what I'd do. I'd bring in gallons of my beverage of choice and keep it in the fridge at the office and whenever she starts talking to you about wanting a Coke, simply smile and say no thanks, I have to watch my figure, I brought in my own Crystal Light or whatever it is you choose to bring. Then with the sexiest walk I could muster up, I'd slip past her and get my own beverage. She will be less apt to try and undo your good work, if you start throwing her poor habits in her face. There are too many screwed up people on this planet that can't be happy for others because they're not happy with themselves. Don't give her that kind of power. Take the power and do good with it or I'll start calling you SUPER DELARLA and ask you how many bad guys you've put away every single day!!!!! By the way, what the hell is this woman's job suppose to be that she has so much free time in the morning to cook her evening meal? You know, I'd also put in a request that if they order two palates of coke to keep on hand, what about those of you who don't drink coke, how about a palate of some kind of Water, like Fruit 2O. It's only fair, don't ya think. Sorry to have gotten so carried away, but that's part of my charm, supporting the underdog and fighting the evil ones. Go get her Delarla. Cindy:rolleyes: